CC Times News Blog

Legislature passes DVC-prompted grade bill

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Jackson) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:52:00 +0000

The state Assembly on Monday gave final legislative approval to a bill meant to avoid college grade-changing scandals like the one that shook Diablo Valley College last year.

The legislation, AB1754, would encourage the state's 110 community colleges to adopt a standard policy for changing students' grades. The bill's only requirement is that the state chancellor's office distribute the model policy to each college.

But the measure has nevertheless attracted opposition. The California Department of Finance, worried about forcing an unfunded mandate on the state chancellor, submitted a letter opposing the legislation, and the Community College League of California also criticized it.

"I wouldn't say it's ardent opposition," said Scott Lay, president of the league, which represents college administrators. Combined with actions already taken in the wake of the DVC scandal, he said, the proposal is "duplicative."

The opposition and the Legislature's lukewarm approval — the Senate passed the bill 21-12 — has concerned the proposal's sponsor, Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi, D-Hayward. She said Monday that she would organize a letter-writing campaign to avert a veto by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. "I don't see why it's so controversial," she said.

Hayashi proposed the bill, which at one point contained significantly stronger measures, following revelations last year that student employees had changed hundreds of grades in exchange Advertisementfor money over the course of six years. More than 50 former students were charged with felonies, making it perhaps the largest criminal case of its kind in U.S. history.

Two ringleaders pleaded guilty and were sentenced to jail or home detention. Several participants were expelled from colleges and universities or had degrees rescinded.

Even with the opposition, the bill and the criminal prosecution has been effective, said Assemblyman Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord, a co-sponsor of the measure.

"Hopefully, all this attention will send a message that this behavior is unacceptable," he said. The state chancellor's office said it supports Hayashi's proposal and hopes to persuade college leaders to take control of grade management.

"What this bill does is just reaffirm that we are doing what we can to avert future unauthorized grade changes," said Marlene Garcia, the state's vice chancellor for government relations. "We can't tell anyone what to do, but we can suggest models."

New law aimed at helping Peralta students with bus fare

DVC’s grade-change response criticized

No end in sight for budget battle

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Jackson) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:52:00 +0000

SACRAMENTO — A vote will be held today on the state budget, but East Bay lawmakers don't expect the standoff — now in its 48th day — to end any time soon.

Heading into today's 3 p.m. Assembly session, a wide chasm still divides Democrats and Republicans on the major sticking points in negotiating a budget that must pare down an estimated $15.2 billion deficit.

"I think it's a 50-50 chance this could go into September," said Assemblyman Sandre Swanson, D-Oakland, "because some of us are not willing to balance the budget on the backs of children, and Republicans have not abandoned their cuts-only approach."

Assemblywoman Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley, accused Republicans of pursuing a goal of "starving" government and of being "intransigent" in holding out for more spending cuts while avoiding any tax increases.

"It all depends on what Republicans are going to do — whether they're willing to compromise at all," she said, "or if they're bound by their Grover Norquist pledge to demand a cuts-only budget."

Assemblyman Guy Houston, R-San Ramon, was equally doubtful that Democrats will concede on their demands to raise taxes on the wealthy — those making $320,000 or more — as a way to protect state services.

"There are zero votes for this budget," said Houston, the only Bay Area Republican. "The issues haven't changed and there's not one iota of the two sides deviating from their positions. The Advertisementpurpose of (today's) session is to show Republicans are not cooperating."

Republicans, who are in the minority but hold the key votes in a system that requires a two-thirds majority in both legislative chambers to approve a budget, have remained steadfastly opposed to increasing taxes. They also insist that a budget agreement must include a constitutional amendment to require a spending cap in future budgets.

Democrats insist that the deficit can't be made up through program cuts alone, though they say they're offering more spending cuts and fewer taxes in today's budget plan. Their initial budget called for $10 billion in taxes, largely on the wealthy.

Secretary of State Debra Bowen extended the deadline from Friday to Monday for lawmakers to produce measures intended for the ballot. But unless there's a broader agreement on the budget, it is a long shot lawmakers will agree on reform measures.

Assembly Democrats rejected a GOP budget reform measure, ACA19, at a committee hearing Friday, another signal that the two sides remain at loggerheads in negotiations.

Assemblyman Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord, said he's ready to reach across the aisle on the budget and on ballot measures that have been stumbling blocks in negotiations.

"It's time for reasonable people to come up with a compromise and produce a budget," DeSaulnier said. But both sides, he said, need to "soften their ideological" positions on budget reform, and possibly a $9.3 billion water bond that Republicans are pushing to get on the November ballot.

Democrats have already moved more than half way, said Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi, D-Castro Valley, offering to institute a rainy-day fund that salts revenues away from good economic years to be used for down years.

"A rainy-day fund is a huge win for Republicans," she said. "That's what they say they want. We're willing to work with them to figure out how we could get the votes to get it done. I'm hopeful something could get done (today), but I'm prepared to continue negotiations with them until we have a budget that makes sense for all Californians. But we're not going to accept their cuts-only approach."

Hancock said she's "very reluctant" to support more spending cuts and fewer taxes, but said she would do it "because of the urgency of the situation. But we're dealing with a very intransigent and irresponsible minority. We can't go any further than this. Any additional cuts would decimate education, transportation, environmental protection."

She said she'd be willing to hold out through the fall elections so that Democrats could see if they could get closer to a two-thirds vote after the election.

Houston said he has offered a continuous appropriations bill to allow state services to run uninterrupted during the budget stalemate. Democrats' opposition to it, he said, shows they are willing to stall long enough that people start feeling the pain of the budget standoff.

"They feel if they make it really bad, Republicans will have to cave," he said. "But our caucus is unified. The only frustration is we didn't do this (have a vote on the budget) six weeks ago, because that's usually the point where everybody starts rolling up their sleeves and negotiating."

Hayashi said she hopes the public has patience while lawmakers sort out their priorities.

"We want people to understand that we're not holding out for the sake of holding out," she said. "We're trying to protect seniors, education and all the things Democrats care about."

Lawmakers Want to End Oil Shipments to U.S. Reserve

Don’t expect big tax breaks: Flaherty

Republican leader: Democrats stalling on budget

Democrats propose $10 billion tax hike on wealthy

Ugly week portends lengthy standoff

More crosses to be added to Lafayette memorial

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Jackson) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:52:00 +0000

Lois Hood's mother is dying.

And when you are face to face with something like that, she said, you think about death a lot, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and all of the soldiers killed there.

The Danville dancer thought of these things Sunday — her mother, the troops, her son who served in Iraq — when she put on paint-splattered overalls and went to the Lafayette Crosses memorial on a steep hillside along Highway 24 near a BART station.

She goes every other Sunday to pull weeds or touch up peeling paint on the white wooden crosses. This Sunday, she went to help co-founder Jeff Heaton start building 600 more crosses — in addition to the 4,122 already there — to honor soldiers killed in Afghanistan. So far, the memorial has only focused on those killed in Iraq.

Heaton said the presidential election partly prompted the addition.

"We have a progressive candidate who wants to start pulling troops out of Iraq, but at the same time, send more to Afghanistan," he said of presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama.

"It's clear the (Bush) administration lied about why we needed to go to Iraq, and I think Afghanistan was just a steppingstone to get us there. But these days, there seem to be more soldiers dying in Afghanistan.

"People think everything's fine there, but it isn't."

It'll take awhile to get the crosses up, Heaton said, and they will be scattered throughout.

"This is a Advertisementhill that is so steep, you don't expect to see a bunch of crosses on it when you drive by it," said John Jensen, a volunteer from Kensington. "It makes a statement that this is an unnatural situation. We're still dying over there."

Toward the memorial base, there are several crosses adorned with broken pieces of stained glass.

Sunlight bounces off their greens and reds, as if to say, "These are different." And they are.

The stained-glass crosses are for the thousands of soldiers — no one knows quite how many — who have committed suicide.

Jensen knows about that. His nephew served in the Gulf War in 1991 and then took his own life.

"I love coming to work out here," Jensen said. "It's quiet and meditative and sometimes we don't even talk to each other while we pull weeds and clean. It's a personal thing for each of us."

He spoke of a World War II veteran who sometimes drives his old station wagon to the base of the hill Sundays, pulls out a battery-powered amplification system and plays taps on it.

Everyone there will stand up and salute while the song is playing. When it's over, the man loads up his system and drives away.

Iraq, Boeing Confirm 2.2 Billion-Dollar Plane Order

Oil Steady After Record Near $127

Nunns remembered for public service

Congress newcomer caused flurry in hurry

November ballot offers mix of hot and cold

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Jackson) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:52:00 +0000

It's a good year to be an incumbent on some East Bay boards: No one wants your job.

The filing deadline to run for local nonpartisan offices in the November election came and went this week, and quite a few races will go uncontested, while other incumbents face largely unknown or scant opposition.

Pittsburg's two councilmen have no challengers, the city's first uncontested City Council election in 60 years. The city's two school board incumbents will sail into office.

An additional 12 East Bay school board incumbents have no competition.

BART Directors Gayle Murray of Walnut Creek and Bob Franklin of Berkeley get free rides into office, along with officials on the Contra Costa Water District and East Bay Regional Parks board.

Democratic nominee Nancy Skinner in Assembly District 14, which stretches from Berkeley into Lamorinda and Pleasant Hill, has no challenger.

In numerous other contests, the would-be officeholders are perennial unsuccessful candidates or appear to have no financial backing and low name identification and are thus unlikely to mount serious campaigns.

Concord, a city facing major decisions about the 5,000-acre surplussed Naval Weapons Station, has one candidate running against two incumbents.

In Pinole, one challenger signed up to face the two incumbents, and she was Maria Alegria, a former councilwoman the city's voters recalled in a bitter election last February.

Statistically, Advertisementthe same number of people have filed for office in Contra Costa County this year as did in November 2004, the last presidential election year. In 2004, the ballot featured 104 races and 279 candidates. This year, it's 109 races and 279 candidates. There is only one fewer contested race this year than in 2004.

Some incumbents who face no competition say a lack of opponents signals voters' satisfaction with current officeholders.

That may be an overly positive spin. Serving in public office is a tough sell these days.

Polls reveal record low approval ratings for Congress and the state Legislature.

While the surveys don't ask about the public's views on local government, its sour mood probably extends into the local landscape.

A poor economy has cut into local agency revenues and forced leaders to make difficult service cuts, none of which makes for attractive campaign literature.

Campaigns cost money, and few people enjoy asking strangers for cash. And others who might otherwise consider running for office may be preoccupied with keeping their jobs and paying the mortgage.

"Being in local office is a very hard job right now," said Mark Baldasarre, president of the Public Policy Institute of California. "There is no extra money, government has to make cuts, reduce staff and make decisions that will make the public unhappy."

Disinterest does not prevail, of course.

In Richmond, a city renowned for its heightened local political involvement, 10 people will chase three seats.

That number is down, however, from 2004, when 15 people filed for five seats. Interest may have been tempered by a reduction in the council's total membership from nine to seven.

The Richmond campaign will probably revolve around the council's recent decision to approve upgrades at the Chevron refinery. Councilman Tom Butt, who is seeking-reelection and opposed the oil company deal, has vowed to help unseat fellow councilmen and project supporters Harpreet Sandhu, Nate Bates and John Marquez.

Four cities could have contentious mayor's races — Pleasanton, Dublin, Antioch and Brentwood.

Hostilities on the Mt. Diablo Unified School District board produced two challengers against the two incumbents, as competing factions push to take majority voting control.

Open seats in cities where incumbents have opted to stay off the ballot — which often draws in more candidates — have generated contests on city councils in Walnut Creek, Dublin, Pleasant Hill and Discovery Bay.

On Bethel Island, a tiny east Contra Costa community beset with political angst and threats of recalls, seven people want one of the three open seats on the municipal utility district.

Melnyk drops challenge in Biovail board election

New Biovail board vote set for Aug. 8

Most local school districts will have board races this fall

November ballot offers mix of hot and cold

Voter registration drive at the county jail

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Jackson) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 21:52:00 +0000

OAKLAND — Many visitors who came to the Glen Dyer Detention Facility on Saturday said they were unaware that some of their loved ones serving time inside the county jail have the right to vote.

All of Us or None, a national initiative of formerly incarcerated people, prisoners and their families sponsored a voter education and registration drive at the jail, 550 Sixth St.

The group's goal was to inform people in the jail or those on probation and off parole about their right to vote. The only prisoners who are not allowed to vote in the jail are those who have been convicted of a felony and are awaiting transfer to state prison.

All of Us or None is a project of Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, based in San Francisco. Other voter registration drives for the project were held Saturday statewide, including in San Mateo, San Diego, Los Angeles and Orange counties.

"I believed that I could never vote again," said Linda Evans, co-founder of All of Us or None.

After 16 years in federal prison and finally off parole, Evans voted for the first time in 2004 at age 60. "I cared about issues on the ballot, and it was a step toward rejoining the community and taking responsibility."

Event organizers said "on probation, off parole," is the slogan they often use to help people know their rights.

This weekend's campaign was part of a National Day of Action for Jail and Prison Voting Rights organized in other Advertisementstates, including Alabama, Oklahoma and Texas.

Organizers said a lot of misinformation has caused voter suppression and disenfranchisement of blacks and Latinos, who make up the majority of the prison population.

"The criminal justice system in our state is in crisis, and we need people that are impacted by it to take action,'' Evans said.

Eligibility to vote is determined by each state, but federal legislation such as the Voting Rights Act has imposed some restrictions on state voting laws.

Maine and Vermont are the only two states that allow state prisoners to vote.

Salim Secrease, 54, of Hayward came to visit his stepson who has been in Oakland's North County Jail for three months. He said he was eager to give him a voter registration form to fill out.

"It's pitiful that a lot of people don't know they have the right to vote,'' Secrease said.

Organizers urged people visiting their loved ones to inform them of their right to vote-by-mail ballots depending on their status in jail.

"We want to encourage people to participate in the governance of the community,'' Evans said. "That's what voting is about."

For more information about All of Us or None, visit www.prisonerswithchildren.org.

N.B. inmates training to be oil rig workers

Lawyers for Conrad Black grilled by appeals court judges, observers say

County considers in-custody drug treatment program for parolees

Piepho’s strong mail-in response helps beat former boss

County considers in-custody drug treatment program for parolees

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Jackson) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 21:52:00 +0000

Contra Costa is a step closer to providing low- and medium-security jail space for a state-funded in-custody drug treatment program offering profits and some drawbacks.

Law enforcement officials hope providing up to 90 beds at the West County and Marsh Creek detention facilities to mostly Contra Costa-based parolees will drop the recidivism rate by as much as 20 percent.

There are concerns, however, that the program could deny treatment to law-abiding people with substance addictions. Those addicts would compete for limited residential-based treatment beds against parolees with the state's better funding, Contra Costa's alcohol and drug services director said Thursday.

"If they're overwhelmed with people coming out of jail and prison, an everyday citizen — that member of the public who just wants to get treatment for addiction without having run afoul of the law — will have a hard time finding a place for treatment," said Haven Fearn.

The county sheriff's office sees it differently: Bringing into the new program people now spread around the state will free up residential treatment spaces, said sheriff's Cmdr. Joe Caruso.

Contra Costa County has 265 parolees in community-based treatment programs around the state, he said. Of those, the new in-custody program would take 60 men and 30 women into the two county lockups, he said.

What both sides applaud is substance treatment rather than incarceration in the hope Advertisementof lowering the high number of repeat offenders.

"Every one of those individuals may end up returning to state prison, but before that happens they come into our local custody," Caruso said. "They become our local responsibility and our local cost."

The county jails about 2,088 inmates, 1,581 of them for a drug or alcohol offense. More than 600 parolees annually return from state institutions to live in Contra Costa.

The program's $2.5 million cost — with all beds filled — would be paid by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The sheriff's office estimates operational and staff costs would be $1.6 million, including salaries and benefits for three deputies. Leftover revenue could be applied to jail improvements and needs, remodeling, security upgrades and jail expansion.

In programs started in seven other counties, 90 percent of available beds are filled.

Participating parolees in the Contra Costa program will have committed violations as a result of drug- or alcohol-related dependency. Parolees with a Contra Costa address will receive priority. The program would consist of 60 days of in-custody treatment, followed by 30-day residential rehabilitation and then 60 days of out-patient care, such as attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

A federal district court ruling last year ordered the state to expand its in-custody drug treatment program from 288 beds to 1,800 state beds by this year.

"The state believes the program is most successful when "... the programs are done in a custodial setting and they are willing to pay for those 60 days," Caruso said.

Although overcrowding is an issue in many jails and prisons, the county has space in its minimum- and medium-security jails, Caruso said. If that changes or the state funding dries up, the program stops, he said.

Santa Clara County put 100 beds in the program and its county director of alcohol and drug services shared Fearn's concerns.

"While it is called treatment, it is really educational in nature," Robert Garner said in a letter to Fearn. "And in fact, the state's in-custody treatment has been viewed as being a major failure. "... It is the re-entry that is usually the problem."

Contra Costa has 333 residential beds available to addicts. The county has enough money to fund 176 beds. The 30-day mandated post-jail residential care for parolees will have them vying for limited beds with non-criminal addicts, Fearn said. The county has about a two-week waiting list for a 90-day residential treatment bed, he said.

"There will come a day shortly where (the parolees) will have to wait for a bed too," he said.

Fearn rests his hopes with Proposition 5, a November ballot measure that would increase funding for treatment and move the state away from jailing nonviolent drug offenders.

The Contra Costa program, pending a final agreement with the state, could begin as soon as September and run through 2011. Coincidentally, the state contracts the Contra Costa County Office of Education to run its in- and out-of-custody drug treatment programs throughout the state.

N.B. inmates training to be oil rig workers

Piepho’s strong mail-in response helps beat former boss

Contra Costa supervisors to vote on five-year, $250,000 a year pact with new administrator

All Contra Costa employees' salaries, benefits listed online

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Jackson) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 21:52:00 +0000

Contra Costa County has put the total salaries and benefits of more than 8,500 employees on its Web site, angering many workers who say it violates their right to privacy.

Tucked away on the site the county launched last month, is a 198-page document listing employees' job classifications, salaries and 19 other benefits categories, including health, workers' compensation and overtime totals. The board of supervisors approved the action in March and the online disclosure may be the first detailed compensation posted by a government agency in the state. The list does not include employees' names.

"At this point, with no names listed, it's relieved a lot of people's immediate concerns," said Rollie Katz of Local 1, representing more than 2,400 employees.

"People are very upset because they were not given any notice and most people think this is private information. I think that's a perfectly understandable reaction," he said.

The impetus for the total compensation report was to compare Contra Costa employee pay packages with other counties in the region. Many of the county's employee contracts expire in September and the board hopes to use the report in its negotiations with unions.

"The way it's been released satisfies that objective," said Jim Bickert, Deputy Sheriff's Association president. "A name isn't necessary to do that sort of comparison."

Supervisor John Gioia, who pushed for the Web posting, wants the county to go Advertisementfurther, by releasing employee names and listing the numbers on an easier to use application.

"I do believe it's appropriate to post by name, and actually, I'm pretty surprised that employees think it's a privacy issue," he said.

Union leaders understand legal precedent permits the release of public employees' total compensation packages, however, Bickert said he believed the county should release the information individually on request, not for all the public to see.

"We support the total compensation study for the purpose of comparing jurisdictions. We prefer if people want more specific information as it relates to specific individuals that they have to go through the Public Records Act request process to get that information so the county knows who asks for it," Bickert said.

Each individual request would include the person's contact information, providing some sort of safety insurance, Bickert said.

Gioia said the information should be posted on the Internet to reduce staff time dealing with public information requests and to remove obstacles for the public.

"The idea to make it harder for the public to get what public information they want runs counter to allowing transparency in government," Gioia said.

Both union representatives said the timing is suspicious.

"Some are feeling this was being done to set the stage for negotiations," Katz said.

The Deputy Sheriff's Association received a legal opinion on listing individual benefits, particularly health care, Bickert said. They sent the opinion to county counsel and the county administrator. If that information is not removed from the site, the union may take legal action, he said.

Almost a year ago, the California Supreme Court ruled that salaries of government employees, including police officers, are a public record and must be available upon request to "ensure transparency." The ruling ended a Contra Costa Times lawsuit filed in 2004 against the city of Oakland after the city refused to release the names and salaries of its employees. The Oakland Police Officer's Association and other employee unions fought to keep the information private.

What’s behind the big NHL free-agent salaries?

Feds deny Air Canada exemption from labour rules

Contra Costa employees’ salaries online

County workers’ salaries to hit Web

Contra Costa supervisors to vote on five-year, $250,000 a year pact with new administrator

November ballot offers mix of hot and cold

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Jackson) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 21:52:00 +0000

It's a good year to be an incumbent on some East Bay boards: No one wants your job.

The filing deadline to run for local nonpartisan offices on Nov. 4 came and went this week and quite a few races will go uncontested while other incumbents face largely unknown or scant opposition.

Pittsburg's two councilmen have no challengers, the city's first uncontested City Council election in 60 years. The city's two school board incumbents will sail into office.

An additional 12 races for school boards elsewhere in the East Bay have no challengers.

BART Directors Gayle Murray of Walnut Creek and Bob Franklin of Berkeley get free rides into office along with officials on the Contra Costa Water District and East Bay Regional Parks board.

Democratic nominee Nancy Skinner in Assembly District 14, which stretches from Berkeley into Lamorinda and Pleasant Hill, has no challenger.

Numerous contests feature only one or two opponents lined up against the incumbents. Many of the would-be officeholders are perennial unsuccessful candidates or appear to be candidates with no financial backing and low name recognition who are unlikely to mount serious campaigns.

Concord, a city considering major decisions about the 5,000-acre surplussed Naval Weapons Station, has one candidate running against two incumbents.

In Pinole, one challenger signed up to face the two incumbents and she was Maria Alegria, a former councilwoman the city's Advertisementvoters recalled in a bitter election last February.

Statistically, the same number of people have filed for office in Contra Costa County this year as did in November 2004, the last presidential election cycle. In 2004, the ballot featured 104 races and 279 candidates. This year, it's 109 races and 279 candidates. There is only one fewer contested race this year than in 2004.

Some incumbents in these uncontested seats say a lack of opponents signals voters' satisfaction with current officeholders.

That may be an overly positive spin. Serving in public office is a tough sell these days.

Polls reveal record low approval ratings for Congress and the state Legislature among voters.

While the surveys don't ask about the public's views on local government, its sour mood probably extends into the local landscape.

A poor economy has cut into local agency revenues and forced leaders to make difficult service cuts, none of which makes for attractive campaign literature.

Campaigns cost money and few people enjoy asking strangers for cash. And others who might otherwise consider running for office may be preoccupied with keeping their jobs and paying the mortgage.

Disinterest does not prevail, of course.

In Richmond, a city renowned for its heightened local political involvement, 10 people will chase three seats.

That number is down, however, from 2004 when 15 people filed for five seats. Interest may have been tempered by a reduction in the council's total membership from nine to seven.

The Richmond campaign will likely revolve around the Richmond council's recent decision to approve upgrades at the Chevron refinery. Incumbent councilman and re-election candidate Tom Butt, who opposed the oil company deal, has vowed to help unseat fellow council members and project supporters Harpreet Sandhu, Nate Bates and John Marquez.

Four cities could have contentious mayor's races — Pleasanton, Dublin, Antioch and Brentwood.

Hostilities on the Mount Diablo Unified School District board produced two challengers against the two incumbents, as competing factions push to take majority voting control.

Open seats in cities where incumbents have opted to stay off the ballot — which often draws in more candidates — have generated contests for city councils in Walnut Creek, Dublin, Pleasant Hill and Discovery Bay.

On Bethel Island, a tiny east Contra Costa community beset with political angst and threats of recalls, seven people want one of the three open seats on its municipal utility district.

&#39Imminent&#39 Recession May Cost NYC 59,400 Jobs

ATCO to work on housing 20,000 in Abu Dhabi

Most local school districts will have board races this fall

Filing period opens for various candidates

Feinstein takes jab at own party on water politics

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Jackson) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 20:52:00 +0000

SACRAMENTO — A couple blocks away from her potential next job site — the state Capitol — U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Tuesday betrayed little about whether she intends to run for governor in 2010.

But after an address to regional officials at the downtown convention center here, she did take a swipe at her own party for blocking a $9.3 billion bond measure that she called critical to averting a major water crisis.

"I'm frustrated," the California Democrat from San Francisco said of her party's opposition to the measure, which must get a two-thirds vote in the Legislature if it is to make it to the November ballot. "I hope they will not (block a vote on it)."

The Legislature has until midnight Saturday to approve measures for the ballot, but partisan differences are likely to prove difficult to overcome. Democrats say the measure relies too heavily on water storage, or dams, and doesn't do enough to beef up conservation efforts.

Feinstein said she couldn't understand why conservation and water storage couldn't go hand in hand.

"It just seems that the issue becomes one of ideological purity rather than practical solutions," Feinstein said. "We need to move. And I don't think saying an environmental bond issue hasn't been spent is the answer. That should be spent. There's no question about it. But it doesn't do what we need to do."

State Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, has insisted that the Advertisementwater bond approved by voters in 2006 needs to be spent before considering a new bond. His office did not reply to Feinstein's comments.

The issue has been complicated since Feinstein joined with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in promoting the $9.3 billion bond, backed largely by Republicans. (Feinstein and Schwarzenegger co-wrote an op-ed piece pushing the plan that appeared Sunday in MediaNews papers.)

But Feinstein said partisan politics should be put on hold in dealing with the state's growing water problems.

"We have to deal with an infrastructure that doesn't meet Californian's needs," she said. "I have never seen (California) in this condition, with the dryness, the fires, the deteriorating snowpack. The reservoirs are low. It's (showing) every overt danger signal that our water infrastructure is inadequate.

"Six months ago, the governor asked if I'd sit down with political leaders in both parties and I did," she added. "We left the meeting believing in two weeks they would come together on a bipartisan plan. They didn't."

Feinstein, who was re-elected in 2006 to her third six-year term, inserted herself into the raging politics of water just as speculation was heating up that she is considering a run for governor in 2010.

She declined to douse or fan the speculation Tuesday when asked whether she would run, saying only, "I'm a United States senator and that's what I'm doing and that's what I enjoy doing right now. So, that's that. My intention is to run for re-election in the Senate (in 2012). That's where it is right now."

The most popular statewide politician in the state, Feinstein can only be aided by the speculation — even if it doesn't amount to a run — said Jack Pitney, a government professor at Claremont McKenna College.

"It's in her interest to keep the speculation going," he said. "People will pay attention to her if they think she'll be the governor. This (water) issue reinforces that she's not just a figure of Washington. It's an issue that's very important to California and shows she's thinking about the state's future."

A recent private poll showed Feinstein would command the field of Democrats, which could include Attorney General (and former governor) Jerry Brown, Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, while Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former gubernatorial candidate Steve Westly have also shown an interest.

Still, some remain skeptical that she'll run. She'll be 77 in 2010, and she'd be leaving behind all the influence that she's established in the Senate as a member of the powerful Appropriations Committee and as chairwoman of the Rules Committee.

A former mayor of San Francisco, Feinstein ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1990, before winning election to the Senate in 1992 and re-elected in 1994, 2000 and 2006.

Money talk taboo for Canadians compared to love, politics, religion: survey

Vale considering $15B US stock issue

Feinstein takes jab at own party on water politics

$9.3 billion water bond proposal goes to lawmakers

Republicans want more aggressive forest thinning

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Jackson) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 20:52:00 +0000

SACRAMENTO — The state needs to be more aggressive in thinning out forests — and less concerned about conserving trees — if they are to contain wildfires, Republican lawmakers said Wednesday at a Capitol hearing of rural lawmakers.

The group, which included members of Congress, sent a letter urging Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to resurrect last year's agreement with Nevada, which would require intensive logging in rural areas.

"We're asking him to do basically what he did last year for the people of the Tahoe area," said Sam Aanestad, R-Grass Valley, the letter's author. "There he got together with the governor of Nevada and came up with a fire commission and report that has changed the way we look at fires and fire safety in the Tahoe Basin."

The Emergency California Nevada Tahoe Basin Fire Commission Report recommended creating specific spaces between bushes and trees, which creates a landscape with a lesser chance of being overwhelmed by a lightening strike.

California is having what could be its most expensive firefighting season, having already spent $285 million in the past six weeks as firefighters struggle to control hundreds of hard-to-control blazes.

The problem, said Senator Dave Cox, R-Sacramento, is that the state's political leaders have been too reluctant to bring the tree population down.

"Because of these regulations, California is growing more timber than it is harvesting," Cox said, "the Advertisementrate is 170 percent and growing, and we certainly need to return to a more balanced, regulatory environment that encourages sound forest management."

Underbrush and crowding are the main culprit of wildfires, said Congressman John Doolittle, R-Granite Bay.

"A forest, in many ways, is just a gigantic version of a garden — it can't just be left to grow on its own or you'll face catastrophic consequences," he said.

U.S. Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Sacramento, said the root of the problem is that "we are loving our forests to death."

"We don't want to see anything cleared and as a result Mother Nature comes in and clears out far more than is healthy for most forests or for us," he said.

A spokeswoman for the governor disputed the assertion that the administration hasn't done enough to contain wildfires.

"Under the governor's leadership, California is better prepared to fight fires and focuses more on fire prevention than ever before," said Lisa Page.

Environmental groups say that preventing wildfires is on page two of the Republican agenda — significantly behind the profit to be had by timber companies.

"When they say we haven't done enough logging and other clearing, it's an oversimplification of the problem," said Paul Mason, Deputy Director of the Sierra Club. "The important thing to realize is that fire is natural and we can't make it go away — figuring out how to live with it is the challenge."

Republicans opposed a 2004 bill by Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, that would have increased the required amount of defensible space around a home from 30 to 100 feet.

"The real punch line here is that it was an important bill to make things safer, and these people voted against it," said Mason. "They're only looking to scapegoat now because they haven't done anything proactively."

One fire safety bill in the Legislature, SB1617, by Sen. Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego, would charge $50 to homeowners in rural areas that fall in the state's firefighting responsibilities, which amounts to one-third of California and includes nearly 1 million homes, with thousands more being built and planned for fire-prone areas.

She projects the $50 fee would raise $45 million a year for fire protection. Her bill passed the state Senate and is awaiting consideration in the Assembly.

Rural counties and legislators object that their residents already pay extra for fire protection and shouldn't be taxed twice as they would under Kehoe's proposal.

Kehoe counters that California needs both her proposal and the insurance surcharge being negotiated by Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders.

"We can't afford not to fight fires. Homes and lives are at stake," she said. "These fires are only going to become more frequent and more intense."

U.S. Foreclosure Filings Surge 65 Percent in April

Overwhelmed firefighters ask governor, lawmakers for help

Facing opposition, Assemblyman yanks car fee bill

Crowded field vies for seats on Moraga's Town Council

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Jackson) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:52:00 +0000

Three open seats. Six candidates. Only one incumbent in the race.

In Moraga, the two open space initiatives won't be the only showdown on the November ballot; the Town Council race has a crowded field with divergent views of where the town's priorities should lie.

One-term incumbent Michael Metcalf will be joined on the ballot by Howard Harpham, Janice Kolbe, Brad Kvederis, Karen Mendonca and Dennis Wanken.

Incumbent Councilwoman Rochelle Bird did not file candidacy papers, though she said in July she would run. This week she said she changed her mind because of her nine-year-old daughter.

"It was important with the priorities of my family to not run and make sure I have enough time to be the kind of mother I want to be," Bird said.

Mayor Lynda Deschambault announced in July that she would not run because she wanted to focus on non-profit work.

Metcalf said he has the experience and judgment to lead the town.

"I have a very good idea of what the town's priorities are and what they need to be," he said. "We've got financial survival to worry about."

Kolbe, president of the Moraga Country Club Homeowners Association, also voiced concerns about the budget. Kolbe, 49, is a human resources manager.

"Our budget is in dire need of some attention," Kolbe said. "We need to look at ways we can generate more revenue through tax dollars. We need to open some type of development that can bring more money into the Advertisementtown."

The current council has lost sight of the important priorities of the town — roads, police and budget stability, she said. The town should also make sure its policies help the school district by allowing it to keep its enrollment levels up, she said.

Kvederis, a 30-year-old graphic and Web designer, is focused on keeping large-scale development out of Moraga.

"I cannot bear to stand by and watch as they build a bunch of tract houses and turn our town into San Ramon," he said.

Any large development that would affect the town's character should be put to a public vote, he said. The town may have reached its maximum population, he said, regardless of the legal challenges the town could face from developers or for failing to meet state housing numbers.

"I'd rather take my chances with (lawsuits) than with the bulldozers," Kvederis said. He would also try to halt the already-approved Palos Colorados development, he said.

Kvederis wants to look at the city budgets of other small college towns across the country for ideas about how to fix Moraga's budget, he said.

His campaign Web site also says the budget needs to take into account the population of on-campus Saint Mary's students, which he wrote were not included in the town's population estimates. Those on-campus students, however, are counted by the Census; when told that, Kvederis said he would look into it and change his Web site.

Mendonca, 54, a Parks and Recreation commissioner and retired university administrator, also put protecting Moraga's ridgelines at the top of her list of priorities. She also wants to support the schools, revitalize business and support traffic safety measures.

The town also needs a responsible budget, she said. The money it will get from the Palos Colorados development should be used to build up budget reserves, she said.

She thinks the MOSO 2008 ballot initiative proposed by the Friends of Moraga Open Space provides good guidelines for development in the town, she said.

"Property owners should have the right to build where appropriate on their land," she said. "(The initiative) allows building, but it ensures that it is not as densely built as it could be."

Harpham and Wanken, a former Moraga School Board member, did not return phone calls for comment.

100 million barrels: Husky marks milestone at White Rose field

Moraga mayor will not seek re-election

Danville town council race has begun

Walnut Creek’s Regalia to step down after 21 years

Contra Costa employees' salaries online

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Jackson) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:52:00 +0000

Contra Costa County has put the total salaries and benefits of more than 8,500 employees on its Web site, angering many workers who say it violates their right to privacy.

"At this point, with no names listed, it's relieved a lot of people's immediate concerns," said Rollie Katz of Local 1, representing more than 2,400 employees.

"People are very upset because they were not given any notice and most people think this is private information. I think that's a perfectly understandable reaction," he said.

"The way it's been released satisfies that objective," said Jim Bickert, Deputy Sheriff's Association president. "A name isn't necessary to do that sort of comparison."

Supervisor AdvertisementJohn Gioia, who pushed for the Web posting, wants the county to go further, by releasing employee names and listing the numbers on an easier to use application.

"I do believe it's appropriate to post by name, and actually, I'm pretty surprised that employees think it's a privacy issue," he said.

Each individual request would include the person's contact information, providing some sort of safety insurance, Bickert said.

Gioia said the information should be posted on the Internet to reduce staff time dealing with public information requests and to remove obstacles for the public.

"The idea to make it harder for the public to get what public information they want runs counter to allowing transparency in government," Gioia said.

Both union representatives said the timing is suspicious.

"Some are feeling this was being done to set the stage for negotiations," Katz said.

What’s behind the big NHL free-agent salaries?

County workers’ salaries to hit Web

Contra Costa supervisors to vote on five-year, $250,000 a year pact with new administrator

Feinstein takes jab at own party on water politics

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Jackson) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:52:00 +0000

Feinstein said she couldn't understand why conservation and water storage couldn't go hand in hand.

But Feinstein said partisan politics should be put on hold in dealing with the state's growing water problems.

A recent private poll showed Feinstein would command the field of Democrats, which already includes Attorney General (and former governor) Jerry Brown, Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, while Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former gubernatorial candidate Steve Westly have also shown an interest.

A former mayor of San Francisco, Feinstein ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1990, before winning election to the Senate in 1992 and re-elected in 1994, 2000 and 2006.

Money talk taboo for Canadians compared to love, politics, religion: survey

$9.3 billion water bond proposal goes to lawmakers

Feinstein wants to reform electronic voting

Ugly week portends lengthy standoff

State auditor suggests textbook pricing reforms

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Jackson) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:52:00 +0000

Colleges, professors and campus bookstores need to do more to slow rapidly rising textbook prices, the state auditor said Tuesday.

In a 102-page report requested by California legislators, the auditor's office concluded that persistently ascending prices haven't been properly addressed by colleges and universities, despite laws intended to force the issue.

Among the auditor's recommendations:

Require professors to submit textbook information to campus bookstores on time, which would allow the stores to collect more used books from students and pay students more for those textbooks.

Remind faculty members of state laws that encourage them to consider prices when assigning textbooks. Many professors are unaware of those laws, the auditor found.

Schools should promote the use of free online textbooks as alternatives to traditional books, which can cost students more than $900 per year.

The report is the latest government attempt to cap the rise in textbook prices.

Congress this month reauthorized the Higher Education Act, the newest version of which would require more pricing information from textbook publishers. The legislation is awaiting President Bush's signature.

And the California Legislature has, in the past year, introduced a flurry of textbook bills, including one adopted last year that cracked down on publisher tactics aimed at selling newer, more expensive textbooks. That law's sponsor, AdvertisementAssemblyman Jose Solorio, D-Santa Ana, lauded the auditor's report and said he hoped it would persuade colleges to change their practices.

"I still see college students spending over $1,000 a year on textbooks," Solorio said, adding that he plans to introduce a bill to cut bookstores' profit margins.

"Sometimes government does need to take action to correct the marketplace," he said.

Publishers have been criticized for their roles in textbook pricing. Lawmakers and student leaders have fought against tactics such as "bundling," where a book is available only in a package with computer disks and other materials that raise the price.

But publishers found fault with some parts of Tuesday's report, saying that professors have to be trusted to choose textbooks that are best for their students.

"They didn't ask why (expensive textbooks) were chosen," said Bruce Hildebrand, executive director for higher education at the Association of American Publishers. "Faculty choose those books because they best suit the education needs of their students."

But the auditors noted that many faculty members seemed unaware of rising textbook prices and their role in holding down student costs. Textbook price increases have significantly outpaced the growth in median income, the study concluded.

Sask. housing prices not headed for bust: home builders

Purchasing managers remain optimistic

New law aimed at helping Peralta students with bus fare

House passes overdue higher-ed bill

Contra Costa supes to discuss deeper budget cuts

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Jackson) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 21:51:00 +0000

After almost $52 million in Contra Costa County budget cuts in May, the county administrator will warn the board of supervisors today that they need to slice about $17 million more due to lower than anticipated property taxes and higher energy and health care costs.

"Things changed quite rapidly on the fiscal front, primarily from assessed valuations taking a drastic decline," county administrator John Cullen said Monday, referring to $12.3 million less in property taxes than May's already dreary estimate. "When you take this amount of money on top of the cuts already made, it will certainly be much deeper impacts for programs already starved for resources."

Everything is on the table including cutting positions, rotating fire station brownouts and salary rollbacks, Cullen wrote in his report.

The county administrator offered some suggestions to plug the shortfall to the supervisors. From the general fund:

Cut costs evenly among county departments.

Eliminate programs.

Dip into the $118 million reserve.

Enhance revenues.

Sell property.

Cut salaries or benefits structure (elimination of the county subsidy for employees' basic retirement rate would save $18.5 million annually); create new retirement tier; reduce health care and vacation benefits; eliminate alternative work schedules; set involuntary time-off periods.

Roll back salaries (a 1 percent rollback countywide Advertisementwould save $8.7 million annually).

Make changes in the health care delivery system.

Many of the options require negotiating with labor unions.

Two of the county's fire districts also will be affected. The East Contra Costa Fire District's coverage area saw a decrease of about 7 percent in assessed property value. The district expects to dip into its $6.2 million reserve to help ride out the losses, according to the report.

The Contra Costa Fire District has $13.7 million in reserve and is expecting "significant shortfalls." The report says the district may delay capital purchases, use reserves, cut personnel or start rolling station brownouts.

Supervisors will discuss the options today and offer guidance to Cullen, who plans to evaluate the situation through August and return to the board with a balanced budget plan in September.

Of course, once the Legislature and the governor agree on a state budget, the county likely can expect further cuts, Cullen said.

U.S. unemployment jumps to 5.5%

Contra Costa supervisors to vote on five-year, $250,000 a year pact with new administrator

County names new chief administrator

Most local school districts will have board races this fall

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Jackson) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 21:51:00 +0000

Nearly every district in the Tri-Valley will host a school board race this fall, according to a newly updated list of candidates for the November elections.

Both the Pleasanton and Dublin districts already have six candidates each vying for three open seats on their respective school boards, and the filing periods for those districts does not technically end until Wednesday.

Of the three Pleasanton school board incumbents, only one, Chris Grant, is seeking re-election. He is being challenged by Valerie Arkin, Jeff Bowser, Jami Yee Hintzke, Prasad V. Rallapalli and Carla Schuman-Butler. The filing deadline is extended until Aug. 13 for races in which eligible incumbents are not seeking re-election, which means more Pleasanton school board candidates could emerge before it's all over.

The filing deadline also has been extended for Dublin Unified, where two of the three board incumbents, Denis King and John B. Ledahl are seeking re-election. They are being challenged by Robert Cherrier, Dan Cunningham, Norm Lee and Greg Tomlinson.

In Livermore, four candidates will compete for two open seats on the school board. Incumbents Tom McLaughlin and Bill Morrison are being challenged by Stewart Gary and Charles Rogge Jr. And in Castro Valley Unified, all three incumbents, John J. Barbieri, Jo A.S. Loss and Kunio Okui, are running for re-election against challengers Marc Crawford and Judith Radousky.

Candidate lists for two other races Advertisement— the Dublin San Ramon Services District and Livermore Area Recreation and Park District boards — also were updated by the Alameda County Registrar of Voters Office on Monday.

DSRSD incumbents Richard Halket, Dwight L. "Pat" Howard and Dan Scannell will defend their seats on the board against challenger David Pulice. LARPD incumbents Steve Goodman and Beth Wilson will compete with challenger Barbara Kraybill for two open seats on the board.

Melnyk drops challenge in Biovail board election

Filing period opens for various candidates

BART lifts ban on contractor campaign contributions

Danville town council race has begun

BART lifts ban on contractor campaign contributions

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Jackson) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 21:51:00 +0000

Four BART Board members have filed to run for re-election, kicking off the first board race in 12 years in which incumbents can accept campaign contributions from contractors seeking business with BART jobs.

Board President Gail Murray of Walnut Creek, Bob Franklin of Oakland, and Tom Radulovich and Lynette Sweet, both of San Francisco, all filed by Friday's deadline to retain their seats in their districts.

Board member Zoyd Luce of Dublin decided not to run. Filing for his seat remains open through 5 p.m. Wednesday.

As of late Friday afternoon, Radulovich faced at least one challenger, Peter Klivans of San Francisco, and no one had filed to run against the other three incumbents. But it will take until Monday before election officials in the three BART counties can process candidate paperwork and say whether other hopefuls entered the race.

The race could be pricier this year because of relaxed campaign funding rules. The board voted 6-2 in December to scrap a ban on board members soliciting or receiving campaign contributions from contractors bidding on BART jobs or seeking no-bid contracts for specialized work or services. The ban was enacted in 1996 in response to a well-publicized FBI investigation that resulted in two board members — Wilfred Ussery and Margaret Pryor — pleading guilty to lying to the FBI about money they took from BART contractors. Both were put on probation and no longer hold office.

"I voted Advertisementfor the rule (ban) in 1996 to improve BART's credibility with the public, but this is a different board and different time," said Joel Keller, a BART board member from Antioch. "I trust this board."

At Keller's suggestion, the board replaced the ban with a contribution limit of $1,000 from would-be contractors.

The limit applies to BART board members throughout their term, and to challenger candidates once they file to run.

Board members Sweet and Radulovich said they wanted to keep the ban to prevent even the appearance of undue influence from campaign donors.

"I think the ban was a good check," Radulovich said. "I agree with Joel that we have a more responsible board today than in the early 1990s. But I don't want any problem with fundraising to mar the functioning of this board."

Keller said the ban served its purpose. But in the last 12 years, campaign costs have soared for mailers and other political advertising, he said.

In low-profile special district races such as BART, there often are few donors other than family members, friends and transit contractors who are willing to make contributions, he said.

Melnyk drops challenge in Biovail board election

‘This fight is far from over’: CAW leader on end of GM blockade

Last days before election all about money

Ugly week portends lengthy standoff

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Jackson) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 21:51:00 +0000

SACRAMENTO — It was an ugly week at the Capitol, where the only promise that emerged was that the state's budget crisis will likely linger for a while longer.

Lawmakers traded accusations over who was stalling budget negotiations. Tensions mounted as legislative leaders from both parties appeared ready to dig further into their trenches. For now, they've stopped talking with one another in what looks like a waiting game.

Democrats want to beef up revenues with taxes on the wealthy to close the $15.2 billion deficit. Republicans favor spending cuts over taxes and are insisting on budget reform that limits spending in the future as part of an overall budget agreement.

Spanning the middle is a wide gulf that no one appears ready to bridge.

"It's as childish as it can get," said Larry Gerston, political science professor at San Jose State University. "Neither side is willing to give. Each side believes the other will fold. It may be good for posturing. But you've got the entire state being held ransom."

Political observers are predicting that if lawmakers don't come to agreement soon, they could be headed into the longest standoff in the state's history. It's been 40 days since the deadline to approve a budget, and though the record is a long way off — 67 days, set in 2002, when the Legislature waited until Sept. 5 to approve a budget — it could be threatened.

A key issue is the Secretary of State's Aug. Advertisement16th deadline to place constitutional amendments on the November ballot. Lawmakers must come to an agreement by that date on a budget and a spending cap reform Republicans are seeking that would require voter approval. But Democrats oppose a spending cap, saying it would tie the hands of future lawmakers. Republicans accuse Democrats of deliberately stalling in budget negotiations to avoid the deadline, and threatened a long holdout if they do miss it.

Though Democrats hold a healthy majority in both the Senate and Assembly, they're forced to accommodate Republicans by a two-thirds vote required by the constitution. Two Republicans in the Senate and six in the Assembly are needed to reach the two-thirds threshold.

Senate minority leader Dave Cogdill, R-Fresno, complained Friday that Democrats aren't showing any sense of urgency. It's now been three weeks since all four legislative leaders — called the Big 4 — have met.

"I can only conclude that the lack of negotiations stem from the Democrats' unwillingness to talk about any solutions that do not include a tax increase," Cogdill said. "We can balance this budget without tax increases, and it is imperative that we do so now."

A frustrated Schwarzenegger has worked to prod lawmakers into action, signing an executive order to lay off thousands of part-time state employees and cut the wages of thousands more to the federal minimum wage of $6.55 an hour. He declared last week he would refuse to sign any bills until the budget was finished.

Schwarznegger, criticized earlier for a hands-off approach to the negotiations, also floated a one-cent sales tax increase last week, hoping to stir movement.

And Schwarzenegger claimed the state's cash situation is dire, saying if they don't get a budget by Aug. 25, the state would have to borrow a line of credit — at a cost of upwards of $100 million in interest.

But many saw his moves as stunts that would have little effect on pushing lawmakers into agreement.

It didn't help that state Controller John Chiang, a Democrat who insists he will not issue reduced paychecks, has also challenged the governor on the state's cash status. On Friday, he announced the state has enough cash to stay afloat through September and into October.

Fittingly, last week the governor had to close down his courtyard smoking tent — where he likes to relax and have a stogie as he barters with lawmakers — until the end of September as the Department of General Services repairs the Capitol roof.

Still, Schwarzenegger is likely the key to bringing the two sides together, said Barbara O'Connor, director of the Institute for the Study of Politics and the Media at Sacramento State.

"The governor is the wild card," O'Connor said.

When two groups are at an impasse, she said, a third party is needed — preferably someone with no vested interests.

"The governor seems willing to jettison things to get it all done, so he could play that role," O'Connor said. "They need something that takes them off their entrenched positions, a new idea that allows all sides to save face. And the urgency of the crisis has to be really believed."

To start, she said, he could call a special session on the budget and threaten to take it through the end of August, forcing Democratic lawmakers to miss the Democratic National Convention in Denver Aug. 25-28.

Senate leader Don Perata, D-Oakland, appeared to pre-empt that move by declaring last week he was willing to force lawmakers to remain in Sacramento during the convention to finish the budget. Observers, however, said he may face pressure from his own caucus to get it done as the convention date gets closer.

But it will take compromise, an elusive feature in the Capitol these days.

"Nobody has the slightest ability or interest in compromising," said Tony Quinn, a former Republican staffer who is now the co-editor of the California Target Book. "But the structure — a two-thirds vote — is set up where you have to."

Lawmakers Want to End Oil Shipments to U.S. Reserve

Canada, Colombia reach free-trade agreement

Republican leader: Democrats stalling on budget

Bracing for steep pay cuts

Hiroshima/Nagasaki commemoration planned for Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Jackson) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 20:51:00 +0000

LIVERMORE — Hundreds are expected to gather Saturday outside Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to support nuclear disarmament and mark the 63rd anniversary of the U.S. bombing of Nagasaki, Japan.

Organizers said the protest has been put together by 17 groups, and will feature a "Nuclear Maze" exhibit depicting the detrimental effects that nuclear weapons production and testing have on the environment.

"This is an educational display to help people understand the dangers of nuclear weapons," said Jackie Cabasso, executive director of the Western States Legal Foundation in Oakland.

Don Johnston, a spokesman for the Livermore Lab, said the lab does not take a stance on the demonstration.

Saturday's event will feature a keynote address by the Rev. Nobuaki Hanaoka, a survivor of the bombing of Nagasaki. He was seven months old at the time. His family members suffered the effects of radiation and fallout in the years after the attack.

Marylia Kelley, of Tri-Valley Communities Against a Radioactive Environment, a lab watchdog group, said she expects several hundred participants to turn out for the event, which has taken place each year for the past two decades.

The ceremony commemorating the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki will begin at 11:02 a.m. with a moment of silence marking the moment when the bomb was dropped Aug. 9, 1945, over Nagasaki during World War II.

Wednesday was the anniversary of the Advertisementbombing of Hiroshima.

Before the event, visitors are invited to participate in a discussion with Iranian-Americans regarding the current tension between the United States and Iran.

"We're not just looking back and remembering," Cabasso said, "We're looking forward to a nuclear-free future."

Nuclear location decision expected next month

U.S. trade with Iran increases tenfold under Bush administration

Nunns remembered for public service

High Court gun ruling to spur flurry of legal challenges

Walnut Creek's Regalia to step down after 21 years

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Jackson) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 21:51:00 +0000

Walnut Creek Mayor Gwen Regalia said late Friday she would not seek re-election to the City Council, thus stepping down after serving 21 years, including five stints as mayor.

The deadline for filing to run for Walnut Creek City Council, therefore, was extended to 5 p.m. Wednesday.

That was the case, too, in Moraga and Pleasant Hill, where incumbents also did not file candidacy papers by 5 p.m. Friday. First-term Moraga Mayor Lynda Deschambault has said she would not seek a second term; likewise, Walnut Creek Councilman Charlie Abrams and nine-year Pleasant Hill Councilwoman Sue Angeli also are not running for re-election for their respective seats.

Abrams has previously said he would leave the council after serving a dozen years.

Regalia is endorsing Transportation Commission Chairman Kish Rajan and incumbent Gary Skrel, who filed election papers Friday, as well as Planning Commissioner Bob Simmons, who filed his papers last week. Teacher Sol Henik, who ran for council two years ago and lost, has already filed to run again.

Walnut Creek Engineer Ralph Hoffmann and attorney Kristina Lawson pulled election papers, but have notified the city they do not intend to file them, City Clerk Patrice Olds said Friday. Graphic designer Cedric Cheng and Realtor Steve Reiser have also pulled papers; Reiser wrote in an email to the Times that he would not run. Cheng said he had not yet made a decision about whether to seek a council Advertisementseat.

In Lafayette, four people filed papers to run for three open council seats, giving the city its first contested council election since 2002.

All three Lafayette incumbents — Mike Anderson, Carl Anduri and Carol Federighi — are in the race. Also running is 25-year-old Gabriel Froymovich, who is new to city government. Froymovich said the current council had let spending increase too much and used too much time talking about new taxes.

Orinda council incumbents Steve Glazer and Victoria Smith have filed candidacy papers. So has Robert Larsen, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California at San Francisco. Larsen said concerns of conflicting interests among council members — particularly Glazer's — on matters dealing with the Wilder home development were reasons for his choosing to run. He said council members recused themselves from voting on issues too often, reducing their effectiveness as representatives of the people in Orinda.

In Martinez, two council seats — the city clerk and city treasurer — will be on the ballot. Incumbent council members Mark Ross and Janet Kennedy said they were running, but it was unclear whether they or any of several potential challengers — City Hall gadfly and perennial candidate Mike Alford, John Fuller, Brad Jackson and Mark Von Shoemaker — had filed by Friday night.

Charles Martin, a public accountant, is challenging incumbent City Treasurer Carolyn Robinson, who has held the position since 1999. Incumbent City Clerk Gary Hernandez has filed for re-election, and prospective challenger Rogelio Jose Pascual David has pulled papers but did not returned them by Friday evening.

Pleasant Hill Mayor John Hanecak, on the council since 2004, and nine-year Councilman David Durant are both running for re-election. Their challengers include Keith Hunt, a retired Pleasant Hill police officer and city code enforcement officer; Karen Mitchoff, vice chair of the Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District board; and Bruce Weissenberger, director of operations for a mortgage company.

Six Moragans have pulled papers to run for that Town Council, including incumbents Rochelle Bird and Michael Metcalf.

GM, CAW reach deal in dispute over truck plant closure

Walnut Creek City Council will gain at least one new member in November

Council races to be contested across Lamorinda

Republican leader: Democrats stalling on budget

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Jackson) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 20:51:00 +0000

SACRAMENTO — Assembly Minority Leader Mike Villines on Thursday accused Democrats of stalling budget negotiations so they can avoid having to agree on a spending cap as part of reforms Republicans are seeking.

If the Legislature fails by midnight Aug. 16th to approve budget reform legislation — which would have to be done by a constitutional amendment — it would fail to make it onto the November ballot.

"I think they're trying to wait out the deadline to put anything on the ballot," said Villines, a Fresno Republican. "I believe this has been going on for a while. They're serious about it and they're showing it. They won't even bring up their own budget. I think you'll see them try to move the budget right after the deadline.

"Once that happens, if that's their game," he added, "we will be in the longest budget (standoff) we've ever had."

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles, denied Democrats were stalling, saying she's hoping to come up with a budget agreement that would include creating a rainy-day fund and placing a measure to refinance the Lottery on the ballot. But she did say Democrats are opposed to a spending cap.

"If you have a very rigid spending cap when times are good, we can't repair the damage done when times were bad and when you cut these programs," Bass said. "One of the fundamental problems we have with budgets now are all the formulas in place that tie our hands. I'm concerned about Advertisementany formula that's going to be an additional way our hands are tied."

Villines this week introduced a measure, ACA 19, which would authorize the governor to impose cuts on services during down economic years and place a spending cap in high revenue years — with some excess revenues diverted into a rainy-day fund and others rebated back to taxpayers.

The frustration about stalled negotiations — 39 days past the deadline to approve the budget — spilled onto the Assembly floor when Republicans challenged Democrats to put up their budget bill for a vote.

Democrats refused, saying Republicans merely wanted to go through a "drill" so they could hammer away at the Democrats' plan to raise $9 billion through taxes on the wealthy.

Villines said he had been "trying to keep a good tone on the floor, but that day is gone." Negotiations, he said, are failing. The two Assembly leaders haven't met in four days, while the Big Four — all four legislative leaders — haven't met as a group in more than two weeks. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, displaying his frustration a day earlier, declared he wouldn't sign any more legislation until the budget is done.

"There are no real negotiations," Villines said. "Negotiations aren't happening any more, and we have the arrogance of the majority who sits back and says, 'well, you know what, we'll just pressure this and let this happen.' So, state workers aren't getting paid. Nobody else will get anything, where pretty soon, the crisis of borrowing all the money is going to happen."

By waiting out Republicans and helping to create a crisis environment, Villines said, Democrats are hoping to force Republicans into supporting taxes.

"I'm convinced Democrats do not want compromise and are just in a waiting game," he said. "That's what I think is happening. If that's the case, everybody has to dig in and that's not what's best for California."

Democrats said that Villines sent negotiations reeling by introducing his constitutional amendment, ACA 19, which one lawmaker, Assemblywoman Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa, said is an "attempt to do what their leader (Washington, D.C.) activist Grover Norquist promised: shrink government to the size it can be drowned in the bathtub."

"It's put up or shut up time for Republicans," Evans said. "The Democratic budget proposal has been on the table for over a month. ... It is in writing for all to see.

"Unfortunately for California, Republicans not only refuse to support our proposal, they refuse to tell us what kind of budget they would support."

Bass said the last time she asked Villines to meet with her, he refused. Though she called the GOP outburst a "step back," Bass said her door is still open to Republicans.

"I'm absolutely willing to continue negotiations," she said. "I'm going to continue trying."

Lawmakers Want to End Oil Shipments to U.S. Reserve

Republicans see opportunities in budget crisis

Bracing for steep pay cuts

Democrats pan Carly Fiorina as possible McCain VP pick

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Jackson) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 20:51:00 +0000

The Democratic Party opened fire Thursday on a former Silicon Valley executive who's rumored to be on presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain's vice-presidential short list.

California Democratic Party Chairman Art Torres; Rep. Hilda Solis, D-El Monte, and Democratic National Committee Research Director Mike Gehrke held a conference call to roll out a Web page criticizing former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina, a prominent McCain economic adviser, fundraiser and media proxy.

"Carly is definitely out of touch with Californians and the problems facing American families," Torres said. "That's the kind of person we least want to be leading our country into the 21st century."

After rising through the ranks at AT&T and its spin-off, Lucent Technologies, Fiorina was HP's CEO from 1999 through 2005 and its board chairwoman from 2000 through 2005. She championed a controversial acquisition of rival Compaq in 2002, but HP's performance slowed and she was dismissed by the board in February 2005.

"Carly Fiorina is an accomplished and inspiring American business leader and her experience is an enormous asset to the Republican Party as a whole," Republican National Committee spokeswoman Amber Wilkerson said in response to the Democrats' jabs. "Instead of attacking one of our nation's most successful women, Democrats and Barack Obama should explain why he wants to raise taxes on American families and small businesses Advertisementalready struggling with high energy costs."

The Democrats' Web page notes Fiorina in early 2004 spoke in defense of U.S. companies sending jobs overseas, saying "There is no job that is America's God-given right anymore" — not a stance that sat well with workers.

Fiorina said this while advocating for improving education, doubling federal spending on basic research and forming a national broadband policy for staying competitive in the global economy.

The site also notes that Fiorina this year acknowledged parking $14 billion of HP's cash overseas to avoid paying U.S. taxes, and she also defended McCain for not moving against offshore tax havens, saying it would be better to lower corporate tax rates to lure that money back.

"Fiorina is, in my opinion, more interested in giving tax breaks to large corporations at the expense of hardworking families," Solis said Thursday. "We've already had eight years of this brand of leadership and I don't think we can afford any more."

Gehrke noted that nearly 18,000 HP workers were laid off during Fiorina's tenure, and the company "came out a lot worse than when she went in. I'm not sure that's the kind of leadership we're looking for."

Fiorina — who splits her time between Los Altos Hills and Washington, D.C. — is the only Californian featured on the Democratic Web site launched earlier this week. Other possible McCain vice presidential picks panned on the site are Florida Gov. Charlie Crist; Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty; FedEx founder and CEO Fred Smith; former GOP presidential primary candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney; U.S. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.; and Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va.

Lawmakers Want to End Oil Shipments to U.S. Reserve

Slim majority supports offshore drilling

Obama, McCain fixate on California

Dems gain control in East Bay cities

Republicans see opportunities in budget crisis

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Jackson) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:51:00 +0000

SACRAMENTO — Where there's a budget crisis, there's opportunity. At least, that's how many Republicans view the current standoff, now in its 38th day.

As both parties appear to be waiting each other out in a high-stakes game of chicken, GOP activists are cheering on Republican lawmakers to continue to hold out for budget reform that would cap spending in good economic years and give the governor new powers to cut spending when the state is facing a deficit.

Republicans also say the debate regarding raising taxes to cover a $15.2 billion revenue shortfall could help their cause in capturing closely divided legislative districts, as voters begin to worry about their pocketbook in the fall. So far, Republicans have resisted all proposals to raise taxes while insisting that the problem is spending, which has risen 39 percent since Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger came to office in 2003, not revenues.

Their fondest, and probably faintest, hope would be to extract concessions from the all-powerful public sector unions, which Republicans say are the biggest drain on state resources. But whatever the outcome of the budget negotiations — declared to be at an impasse this week by Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland — Republicans say they're in a better position to influence its final shape than they have been in recent years.

"This year, unlike last year and many previous years, Republicans in the Senate and Assembly are Advertisementcoordinating and acting as a team," said Jon Fleischman, publisher of the conservative blog FlashReport. "This year, (Republican leaders) have made it clear that reaching deeper into the pockets of taxpayers is not an option."

Typically, Republicans are relegated to the sidelines for much of the legislative doings at the Capitol. But when budgets come around, they find themselves at the center of attention, thanks to the constitutional requirement that two-thirds of both houses must approve the budget. Democrats need two GOP votes in the Senate and six in the Assembly to reach the two-thirds threshold.

At times, Republicans have appeared to relish their spoiler role — even as Schwarzenegger expressed exasperation at the lack of progress in budget negotiations, as he did Wednesday when he said he would refuse to sign bills until the budget was finished.

Assembly GOP Leader Mike Villines, R-Fresno, on Wednesday called on Democrats to put their budget plan — which includes a $9 billion tax increase, mostly on the wealthy — to a vote on the Assembly floor. Two weeks ago, Perata pulled the budget from the Senate floor, saying he didn't want to exacerbate budget negotiations with a nasty confrontation between the parties. But since then, the four legislative leaders have failed to meet.

"Assembly Republicans are prepared to have that debate," Villines said. "We are prepared to tell the people of California how much money Democrats will take from them to pay for their continued overspending ... at a time when businesses are leaving the state and families are struggling."

Ron Nehring, the chairman of the state Republican Party, says the growing stalemate can only work in the GOP's favor.

"The longer this continues, the greater an opportunity is presented for people to recognize California's budget system is broken," Nehring said. "Everyone knows the state has a spending addiction. That's why there's a need for serious reform so we're not in this cycle of perpetual crises."

If the role of Republicans is to force Democrats to cut wasteful spending, public pensions are an obvious place to start, said Mark Herrick, president of the California Republican League, a group of self-styled moderates.

"We're in a moment here where people will see the negative effects the state public service pension plans are having on California," Herrick said. "I don't think public employees should be allowed to use money from their salaries — paid for by the public — to elect Democrats, who pay them back by giving them generous pension programs. The problem is it's all the public's money."

Herrick said the state could save billions by forcing state workers to work longer before they are eligible to receive a pension. Currently, they can start receiving a pension after 20 years service after reaching 50 years of age.

As taxes continue to be at the center of the partisan divide, they could become the centerpiece to the fall campaigns, particularly in closely divided districts such as the 15th Assembly district, where Democrat Joan Buchanan and Republican Abram Wilson are vying to replace Assemblyman Guy Houston, R-San Ramon.

"This is one of those fault-line issues for Republicans," said Tom Del Baccaro, vice chairman of the state Republican Party and Contra Costa County GOP chairman. "It's certainly a rally cry and it's been effective in getting more volunteers — and for using in fundraising letters."

But, even as they try to exploit what leverage they have, Republicans risk a potential backlash by overreaching, observers said.

"The risk comes when their own constituents start hollering," said Jack Pitney, government professor at Claremont McKenna College. "If state funds start drying up, eventually the consequences will be felt in Republican districts in things like education, road maintenance. It could reach the point where even fairly safe members start feeling the heat if it goes deep into September and you start hearing from irate parents."

Lawmakers Want to End Oil Shipments to U.S. Reserve

Democrats propose $10 billion tax hike on wealthy

Perata takes “textured” approach to foes

Council races to be contested across Lamorinda

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Jackson) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:51:00 +0000

For the first time in years, all three Lamorinda cities appear likely to host City Council elections in November.

In Orinda, two of the five City Council seats are up for grabs. The two incumbents, Steve Glazer and Victoria Smith, will run again. A third candidate, Robert Larsen, has pulled papers from the city clerk's office but as of Wednesday was unsure if he would file by today's 5 p.m. deadline.

In Lafayette, all three incumbents — Mike Anderson, Carl Anduri and Carol Federighi — plan to run again. One other candidate has also filed papers — Gabriel Froymovich, a consultant and winemaker whose Web site says he wants to avoid new taxes and to limit growth downtown.

In Moraga, six residents have pulled papers to run, including incumbents Rochelle Bird and Michael Metcalf. That town's filing deadline is Wednesday, because Mayor Lynda Deschambault is not running again.

Orinda

Larsen plans to file papers by today's deadline, mostly because he was concerned that no other residents had stepped up to run.

"I think in a democracy you should have a choice, and there's no choice if two incumbents are running uncontested," Larsen said. "I'm not looking forward to being a sacrificial lamb, but at times it takes getting the citizens involved."

Larsen, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at UC San Francisco, is also concerned about potential conflicts of interest Advertisementamongst council members, particularly Glazer, on matters dealing with the Wilder home development in the Gateway Valley area.

Glazer admitted to recusing himself, particularly on matters concerning the Wilder development, as he has had business interests with the development group. Glazer, however, said he and other council members practically "bend over backwards" to keep the council running ethically.

Glazer names increasing the budget for city infrastructure as one of his accomplishments on the council. He hopes a continued presences on the council will allow him to expand efforts on fixing roads. That's Orinda's biggest issue, he said.

Smith could not be reached for comment.

Glazer and Smith beat out two incumbents, former Mayor Joyce Hawkins and Councilman Gregg Wheatland, with 40 and 30 percent of the vote in 2004.

Lafayette

This fall will be Lafayette's first contested City Council election since 2002, and two of the incumbents, Anderson and Anduri, have never won a contested City Council election here.

Anduri was first elected in 2002, when he ran unopposed for a two-year seat opened up by a resignation. Anderson joined the council in 2004, when he, Anduri and Federighi ran unopposed. Federighi was first elected in 1999, when she was the top vote-getter in a four-way election for three seats.

All but Anderson have formally filed their papers; Anderson was scheduled to do so Thursday afternoon. No one else had pulled papers to begin the nominating process at press time.

Froymovich is currently on a three-week trip to Israel, according to his campaign Web site. He did not respond to phone or e-mail messages this week.

The City Council has let spending increase too much, he writes on his Web site, and spends too much time talking about new taxes. He also condemns the focus on creating a transit village downtown, saying he did not move to Lafayette to live in a high-population area.

He has no experience in government aside from a student judicial board at his college.

20% increase in energy efficiency in 12 years, premiers pledge

n Oakley incumbents seeking re-election map out ideas to turn around financial challenges

Walnut Creek City Council will gain at least one new member in November