Rough&Tumble California Policy and Politics

Updating . .

$96 million California IT project late, flawed, busting budget -- Another flawed multimillion-dollar state computer project has busted its budget and made work it was supposed to streamline even less efficient, according to a scathing state auditor’s report released Thursday. Jon Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/12/15

Covered California Considering Enrollment ‘Contingency Plans’ Tied to Tax Deadline -- The tax deadline is not for another two months, April 15. It’s easy to imagine that plenty of people will discover the penalty as they file their taxes over the next two months — and simultaneously discover they are locked out of buying insurance. Lisa Aliferis KQED -- 2/12/15

Muslim leaders want California lawmaker to apologize for remarks -- California Muslim leaders are calling on a state assemblywoman to apologize and retract an online comment she made about Islam. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/15

California budget could face new strain from Obama immigration action -- President Obama's executive action on immigration may have a major impact on California's budget, according to reports issued by legislative analysts on Thursday. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/15

Deuce Bigalow’s political imbroglio plays out on Twitter, Facebook -- Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that the phone call Wednesday between Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez and comic actor Rob Schneider played out on social media. Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/12/15

Extreme drought in Northern California just got 10% better -- This week’s U.S. Drought Monitor reports extreme conditions dropped from 77% last week to 67%. The positive change occurred mostly in northwestern California and the Santa Cruz Mountains between San Francisco and Santa Cruz. The northern half of the Santa Lucia Range, which is along the Central Coast, also saw drought conditions improve. Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/15

Villaraigosa private polls -- But unlike traditional polls funded by candidate campaigns or news organizations, the recent surveys were paid for by outside groups and released online through blogs and other media. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/12/15

Calbuzz: Among Latinos, Tony V Thumps Kamala for Senate -- California Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris may be leading the field statewide in 2016 race to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer – we won’t actually know until we see some public polling data – but it appears that among Latino voters who say they’re likely to vote, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio “Tony V” Villaraigosa is the clear favorite. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 2/12/15

Democrats list their House members most at risk in 2016 -- Five of the Democratic members of Congress on the list represent districts in California and all overcame challenges in last year's elections, most in costly elections that drew national attention. Jean Merl in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/15

California aid-in-dying bill -- Signaling a big fight ahead over a bill that would allow doctor-assisted suicide in California, a group in favor of the measure has retained three Sacramento lobbying firms. Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/12/15

Major cost increases, delays in state computer project -- Poor planning and oversight of a computer system by the state Department of Consumer Affairs led to significant delays and cost increases, according to a state audit released Thursday. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/15

AP Exclusive: Disney Input on Measles -- As the measles outbreak spread last month, Disneyland executives sent a series of emails to California health officials asking them to emphasize that the theme park was not responsible for the illnesses and was safe to visit, documents obtained by The Associated Press show. Amy Taxin and Alicia Chang Associated Press -- 2/12/15

Measles adult immunization -- Measles was once considered a childhood illness, spreading rapidly across schools, playgrounds and parks. But the national measles outbreak that began two months ago at Disneyland has showed another side of the highly infectious disease — that it is a danger to people of all ages. Roxanna Xai and Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/15

UCSD, Palomar needless deaths -- The avoidable deaths of two patients led to a combined $150,000 in state fines against two local hospitals this week, according to the California Department of Public Health. Paul Sisson UT San Diego$ -- 2/12/15

New bureau to combat child truancy, trauma -- In a letter issued to county officials Thursday, state Atty. Gen. Kamala D. Harris announced that the new Bureau of Children's Justice would particularly focus on foster youths. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/15

Inglewood NFL stadium -- Plans to build an NFL-quality football stadium in Inglewood cleared another hurdle Thursday as election officials confirmed that enough petition signatures had been verified to put the initiative on the ballot. Angel Jennings and Tim Logan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/15

Pulpit politics -- United Methodist Bishop Minerva Carcaño has crossed off a lot of things on her professional and spiritual to-do list. As a faith-based immigration advocate, she’s met with President Barack Obama and his advisers, gone to jail after a march on Washington, written op-eds that were met with heated comments, and worked to persuade Sen. John McCain on immigration policy. Roxana Popescu UT San Diego$ -- 2/12/15

Fox: SD 7: Informing the Voters a Candidate is NOT Running -- An influential campaign message in the Senate District 7 Special Election would be: NO Republican Has Applied. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 2/12/15

Students allege 'uncomfortable' searches -- Several male students, 16 and 17 years old, said their principal at Dominguez High School, Oscar Méndez, searched them in an inappropriate manner and made them feel "uncomfortable," said Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Al Garcia. Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/15

Cupertino bets big on Apple spaceship campus -- City leaders firmly tied their fate to Apple when they blessed plans for a grand spaceship-themed campus in the northeast corner of town. Now comes the tricky part: Living with it. Julia Love in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/12/15

FireEye is "first in the door" on big cyberattacks -- Perhaps no security specialist has benefited more than a small but fast-growing company called FireEye, which is based in Silicon Valley and staffed with a roster of former military and law-enforcement cyberexperts. Brandon Bailey Associated Press -- 2/12/15

Barbara Boxer cameos on ‘Parks and Recreation’ -- U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer may be headed for the exit next year, but in the world of NBC comedy “Parks and Recreation,” she’s still going strong come 2017. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/12/15

New flight Sacramento to Dallas’ Love Field -- The service to Love Field begins on April 8. Airport officials noted that Sacramento passengers can already fly nonstop to the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. However, the new route offers an alternative airport with easy access to the city – Love Field being just six miles from downtown Dallas. Bill Lindelof in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/12/15

LAPD shooting of unarmed 15-year-old puts focus back on replica guns -- In South Los Angeles, an LAPD officer, firing on a teenager who authorities said was holding what appeared to be a gun, ended up hitting the teen's companion instead, injuring him in the back. Kate Mather, Matt Hamilton and Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/15

San Jose: Man killed by police was was former San Jose High football star -- Family, friends and neighbors are struggling to piece together why a well-regarded member of their community got in a violent encounter Wednesday night that ended with 23-year-old Phillip Watkins being shot and killed by police. Robert Salonga and Mark Gomez in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/12/15

California Policy & Politics This Morning

State employee charged with bringing loaded gun to office -- A former state worker accused of bringing a loaded gun to the secretary of state's office made an innocent mistake, his attorney said Wednesday after the man was arraigned on a misdemeanor charge of possession of a weapon in a state building. Fenit Nirappil Associated Press -- 2/12/15

Furor over $250-a-plate party honoring former CPUC head -- Former state Public Utilities Commission President Michael Peevey — whose home was recently searched by investigators looking into possible corruption at the agency — will be feted Thursday night with a $250-a-plate fundraiser for UC Berkeley’s public policy school. Jaxon Van Derbeken in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/12/15

Lack of cooperation halts audit of DWP trusts, city says -- An audit heralded last year by L.A. city leaders as a breakthrough in efforts to determine what two controversial Department of Water and Power nonprofit trusts did with tens of millions of ratepayer dollars has ground to a halt, The Times has learned. Jack Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/15

California oil regulator cites ‘serious concerns’ on data collection -- Pressed by lawmakers about failing to shield protected aquifers from waste generated during oil drilling, California’s state regulator overseeing the oil industry conceded Wednesday that his agency is falling short. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/12/15

Police support for Harris: A warning sign to Villaraigosa -- In any other campaign, a labor union backing a Democrat for U.S. Senate would be routine. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/15

Gavin Newsom announces he'll run for California governor in 2018 -- California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom is opening a campaign committee to run for governor in 2018, becoming the first candidate to enter the race, he announced Wednesday. Josh Richman in the San Jose Mercury$ Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ Juliet Williams Associated Press Katie Orr Capital Public Radio -- 2/12/15

California’s 2014 Voter Turnout Was Even Worse Than You Thought -- For a state whose political leaders pride themselves on being focused on the future, California’s 2014 elections seem to have decidedly been driven by its past — as in, its older voters. Or put another way: It was the Year of the Grandparents. John Myers KQED -- 2/12/15

Cap-and-trade: Transportation fuels on the block -- For the first time, permission slips to sell an array of fuels used in California – and which account for nearly 40 percent of the state’s carbon emissions – will be put on the auction block as part of the state’s landmark law to curb climate-changing greenhouse gases. John Howard Capitol Weekly -- 2/12/15

Skelton: Whatever road is taken for highway funds, there's a need for speed -- Fuel-efficient cars are great for the air and the planet. But they're lousy for our highways, especially those battery-powered vehicles. Let me remind you why. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/15

BART measles alert: riders may have been exposed -- BART officials warned riders Wednesday that they may have been exposed to measles after a passenger with the virus commuted to and from the LinkedIn offices in San Francisco from Feb. 4 to Feb. 6 — and urged those who think they have symptoms to see a doctor immediately. Kurtis Alexander and Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/15

Senator calls for mandatory helmets for California cyclists -- Sen. Carol Liu on Wednesday announced a bill, SB 192, that will require bicycle riders to wear helmets or face a $25 fine. Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/12/15

California cops, cities offer new medical marijuana bill -- With one eye on a looming effort to legalize recreational marijuana in California, organizations representing the state's cities and police officers are pushing a Sacramento-area lawmaker’s bill to regulate medical cannabis. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 2/12/15

Cancer patients, doctors sue to allow physician-assisted death for terminally ill -- A group of cancer patients and physicians filed a lawsuit Wednesday to clarify the ability of mentally competent, terminally ill patients in California to obtain prescription drugs from their physician to hasten their death if they find their suffering unbearable. Patrick Mcgreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/15

Why moving elections to even years is odd in L.A. -- In March 2013, Los Angeles voters went to the polls and defeated Measure A, a half-cent sales tax increase that would have boosted city revenues by $215 million a year. For city leaders, the defeat prompted some soul-searching — not so much about the city's finances or about the electorate's lack of trust in its leadership, but rather about the electorate itself. Turnout was low. In keeping with a long-term downward trend, just 21 percent of registered voters showed up to the polls. Gene Maddaus LA Weekly -- 2/12/15

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti keeps low profile on charter amendments -- Some Los Angeles mayors like to take sides when it comes to high-profile ballot measures, but Eric Garcetti isn’t staking out a position on changing the dates of city elections. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/12/15

Kensington cop scandal grows as board president calls for independent probe -- The Kensington cop caught up in a scandal wasn't alone in Reno -- 40 percent of the force had traveled to Nevada when a prostitute ripped off Sgt. Keith Barrow's badge, bullets and gun last May in a misadventure first reported by this newspaper last week. Thomas Peele and Julia Prodis Sulek in the Oakland Tribune -- 2/12/15

Saunders: Let he who is without spin cast the first stone -- I work on a treadmill of shameless self-promotion. Most mornings, I’ve tweeted before 6 a.m. When I’m not working on my column, I’m often blogging, posting on Facebook, jabbering on the radio (less often on TV), or speaking at a venue like the Commonwealth Club. Debra J. Saunders in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/12/15

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions

Ports to stop unloading cargo for four days amid labor dispute -- Shipping companies said they will stop unloading ships at West Coast ports for four of the next five days because they don’t want to pay overtime to workers they allege have deliberately slowed operations. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/15

State high court orders trucker to pay drivers $1 million -- An Oakland trucking company that discouraged drivers from taking meal and rest breaks, deducted an hour’s pay from their daily shifts and treated some of them as unpaid trainees will have to pay them nearly $1 million in damages after the state Supreme Court rejected the company’s appeal Wednesday. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/12/15

San Francisco pension system votes to invest 5% in hedge funds -- The board of the San Francisco Employees’ Retirement voted 6-1 Wednesday to sink 5 percent of its $20 billion portfolio in hedge funds, a much smaller investment than its staff recommended last year. Kathleen Pender in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/12/15

L.A. Business Council endorses Garcetti's proposed minimum-wage hike -- The Los Angeles Business Council, a Westside-based coalition of firms that has supported progressive causes such as affordable housing and clean-energy projects, appeared with Garcetti at a City Hall press conference. Peter Jamison in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/15

Woman fired from hospital after double mastectomy settles lawsuit -- An Oakland hospital will pay $300,000 in a settlement with a former employee who was fired after undergoing breast cancer surgery and asking for more leave than the hospital was willing to grant. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/12/15

Greenhut: Broke California cities can slice pensions -- Federal judge rebukes the 'bully' CalPERS in Stockton case. Steven Greenhut UT San Diego$ -- 2/12/15

Education

San Francisco schools superintendent to receive 27% pay raise -- Carranza’s new salary is competitive with other urban and suburban superintendents across the state, yet the increase alone is about the same as the average salary of a teacher in the district and more than double the 12 percent raise that will be given to teachers over the next three years. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/12/15

Educators, builders oppose Brown's plan to stop state borrowing to pay for schools -- Lawmakers, educators and representatives of the homebuilding industry pushed back Wednesday against Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal to end a long-standing state policy of issuing bonds to help pay for school construction. Timm Herdt in the Ventura Star$ -- 2/12/15

Lawmakers skeptical of Brown’s facility funding plan -- Lawmakers on Wednesday expressed skepticism of Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal to reduce the state's role in building and maintaining schools by pushing the bulk of the financial burden onto local districts and their communities. Kimberly Beltran Cabinet Report -- 2/12/15

Charter school enrollment surges -- Statewide enrollment in charter schools grew 7 percent this school year, so that more than one in 12 California public school students attends a charter school, according to an advocacy group's report released Wednesday. Sharon Noguchi in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/12/15

Stanford tuition rising this fall -- The new fees will raise the undergraduate tab to $60,427 for next year, a total that includes $14,107 for room and board and $591 for a mandatory health fee. Katy Murphy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/12/15

Should UC system's out-of-state students pay even more? -- Pennsylvania resident Amy Shao enrolled at UCLA last year knowing that she would pay a steep $23,000 more for tuition than her classmates who grew up in California. But with a lot of help from her parents, large loans and some federal grants, she has managed to pay her UC bills. Larry Gordon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/15

Students exposed to porn on iPads? -- The Encinitas Union School District failed to install filters on iPads it sent home with elementary school students, making it more likely children can use the devices to download inappropriate content, a group of parents told the school board Tuesday. Pat Maio UT San Diego$ -- 2/12/15

Technology takes hold in the early grades -- Whether solving math puzzles to help a penguin waddle across a computer screen or sounding out words in Mr. Sounders’ virtual classroom, K-2 students are increasingly embracing technology in California schools. Susan Frey EdSource -- 2/12/15

Drug-testing plan in works at Aliso Niguel High School -- High school students should have an easy way out of being peer-pressured into doing drugs, and the City Council intends to help provide that outlet. Christopher Yee in the Orange County Register$ -- 2/12/15

Drought

California Reservoirs Benefit From Recent Storms -- Meteorologist Michelle Mead with the National Weather Service in Sacramento says an eight-station index of Northern Sierra reservoirs has been in a boom-and-bust cycle. Ed Joyce Capital Public Radio -- 2/12/15

Feds OK extra storage at rising Lake Mendocino -- Russian River water managers and consumers they serve in Mendocino, Sonoma and Marin counties got a break Wednesday from the prospect of watching precious water flow to the ocean from the rapidly filling Lake Mendocino reservoir near Ukiah. Guy Kovner in the Santa Rosa Press -- 2/12/15

Environment

Benzene in fracking water in California is 700 times federal safety level -- Hoping to better understand the health effects of oil fracking, the state in 2013 ordered oil companies to test the chemical-laden waste water extracted from wells. Julie Cart in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/15

Richmond-San Rafael Bridge closer to getting new lane, bike path -- A committee of the Bay Area Toll Authority approved $4.65 million in funding Wednesday to complete the design of a new eastbound lane and a bike and pedestrian lane in both directions. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/12/15

Google buys Altamont wind energy to power Googleplex -- About 770 old turbines from the 1980s will be replaced this year by 48 new machines producing twice as much energy, enough to power Google's corporate campus in Mountain View with 100 percent renewable power. Matt O'Brien in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/12/15

Health

California measles outbreak spreads to Canada -- Ten measles cases in Canada stem from a visit to Disneyland, health officials announced Wednesday, meaning the California-centered measles outbreak has spread to yet another country. Lauren Raab in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/15

Measles Vaccine Debate Hits Home at California School -- For Jennifer Cauzza, a charter-school leader in Southern California, the measles outbreak is more than just a health and science lesson. It has become a civics lesson, too. Caroline Porter in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/12/15

Stem cells reduce MS brain damage -- In what could herald a major advance in treating multiple sclerosis, brain damage was significantly reduced in patients getting stem cell transplants, compared to a control group. Results of the small Phase 2 trial -- the first of its kind -- are preliminary but promising, according to experts not involved with the trial. Bradley J. Fikes UT San Diego$ -- 2/12/15

The Sickeningly Low Vaccination Rates at Silicon Valley Day Cares -- The scientists, technologists, and engineers who populate Silicon Valley and the California Bay Area deserve their reputation as innovators, building entire new economies on the strength of brains and imagination. But some of these people don’t seem to be vaccinating their children. Joanna Pearlstein WIRED -- 2/12/15

Lawmaker tries again with bill requiring warning label on sugary drinks -- Senator Bill Monning's (D-Carmel) legislation - SB 203 - would require warnings on sweetened drinks with more than 75 calories per 12 ounces. Elizabeth Aguilera KPCC -- 2/12/15

California hospitals penalized thousands for medical errors -- Ten California hospitals were penalized a total of $700,000 Wednesday after state health inspectors found deficiencies in care that resulted in one patient being abandoned on the side of the road to wait for transportation and another dying because a feeding tube was inserted incorrectly. Susan Abram in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/12/15

Also . . .

L.A. to offer rewards for information in hit-and-run crashes -- In a push to solve and prevent more hit-and-run traffic collisions, Los Angeles city officials said Tuesday that they will launch an alert system to share information about drivers who flee the scenes of crashes. Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/15

BART debates leniency or charges for protesters who disrupted train service -- The Bay Area Rapid Transit District board will decide Thursday whether to ask prosecutors to drop charges against "Black Friday 14" protestors who demonstrated against police violence. Denis Cuff in the Contra Costa Times$ -- 2/12/15

Art Laboe, iconic disc jockey, silenced on L.A. airwaves -- His broadcast, The Art Laboe Connection, was canceled by New York-based IHeartMedia following a station-wide change in programming. Esmeralda Bermudez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/15

Raccoon meat for sale at L.A. supermarket; store under investigation -- An Asian supermarket in Temple City has come under fire for selling dead raccoons after a video circulated on social media showed bodies of the animals in the frozen meat section. Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/15

POTUS 44

Obama’s coming; expect traffic delays -- President Obama’s arrival in the Bay Area will likely slow the Thursday evening commute for thousands of drivers in San Francisco and on the Peninsula. Vivian Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/12/15

Beltway

FEC deadlocked on 'dark money' -- A rare open Federal Election Commission meeting on Wednesday attempted to placate the competing concerns of campaign finance activists. But at the end of the day-long hearing and comments from 30 witnesses, the commission was likely as deadlocked as ever on how to increase disclosure rules around so-called “dark money” and whether funding behind Internet advertisements should be reported. Megan R. Wilson The Hill -- 2/12/15

House sends Keystone bill to White House doom -- The measure doesn't appear to have enough votes to survive a veto. Elana Schor Politico -- 2/12/15

Conservatives: Let Democrats take DHS off the cliff -- Democrats would fold if Homeland Security shuts down, some House and Senate Republicans argue. Manu Raju, Jake Sherman Politico -- 2/12/15