Dan Walters: California redevelopment still has a faint pulse -- Some of the California legislators who voted last year to abolish redevelopment agencies and shift their money into schools and other local governments appear to be having executioner's remorse – creating uncertainty about redevelopment's future, if any. Walters column in Sacramento Bee
Joel Fox: Initiatives weapons of choice in policy wars -- Jerry Brown’s concern that California is facing a war of all against all is moving closer to reality. I believed that Brown would have the ability to convince allies to drop their tax initiatives but as of now he is making little progress. Fox column in Fox & Hounds
Sacramento Bee: Brown is right to call for new housing chief -- Local and state officials in California have been more than patient with the nation's top housing regulator. Gov. Jerry Brown finally had enough, firing off a letter to President Barack Obama that urges him to name a director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency who "will truly represent your policies." Sacramento Bee editorial
San Jose Mercury News: Let voters see who funds campaign ads -- California lawmakers have an opportunity to shine light into the shadows that can hide the big money donors who pay for political campaign ads. San Jose Mercury News editorial
Visalia Times-Delta: State budget cuts have a face -- A report on how a Visalia man with severe disabilities is coping with cuts to public services put a human face on the wave of government budget-cutting sweeping through California. Visalia Times-Delta editorial
EDUCATION
LA Times: A smoke-free UC goes too far – University system's plan for campuses to be smoke- and tobacco-free within two years has noble intent but goes too far. LA Times editorial
Steve Lopez: Santee Education Complex tries to whet appetite for healthy food -- A garden and student-run bistro at the South Los Angeles high school, and the youths' enthusiasm for them, exemplify the kind of creativity in promoting healthful eating that L.A. Unified needs more of. Lopez column in LA Times
Oakland Tribune: Charter schools offer a chance for innovation, academic improvement -- We applaud the Contra Costa County Board of Education for strongly supporting Clayton Valley and urge other school officials to be more accommodating toward charter schools. The poor performance of California schools mandates that new ideas must be tried, and well-designed charter schools are excellent venues for innovation. Oakland Tribune editorial
ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT
Head to Head: Should California build a Delta water canal it rejected in the 1980s? -- Gov. Jerry Brown is moving ahead with plans to build a water diversion canal or tunnel through the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta, saying the project is essential for reducing conflicts over fish and ensuring reliable water deliveries. Worried about environmental impacts and water rights, many residents in the Delta and Northern California oppose the project. Should California build a Delta water canal it rejected in the 1980s? Head to Head in Sacramento Bee
Sacramento Bee: Flood control blueprint a sea of change at DWR -- Working to meet a deadline set under 2008 legislation, DWR has performed a service for California by producing a forward-looking flood plan that is in step with the state's values, and aware of the serious threats on the horizon. Sacramento Bee editorial
Contra Costa Times: PUC audit calls out for immediate action -- The California Public Utility Commission's audit of PG&E screams for immediate action -- but not just against the utility. To fully ascribe blame for safety problems, regulators should be looking in the mirror. Contra Costa Times editorial
LA Times: Beach access bingo – The wet sand belongs to all Californians, but that doesn't stop homeowners from playing games to bar visitors. LA Times editorial
TRANSPORTATION
Bakersfield Californian: Brown must demand accountability from high-speed rail -- Now that Gov. Jerry Brown has essentially taken charge of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, it is vital that he bring a fiscally conservative game plan to its development that bans any semblance of the wildly and unrealistically optimistic cost and ridership estimates that have troubled the project almost since its inception. Bakersfield Californian editorial
NATIONAL ISSUES
San Jose Mercury News: Obama proves he gets it right on online piracy issue -- President Barack Obama re-established his credibility on technology issues and scored a victory for Silicon Valley with his statement Saturday that he does not support the damaging portions of proposed legislation designed to combat online piracy. San Jose Mercury News editorial
Orange County Register: An online blackout to prevent a dark day -- We believe the Supreme Court has roundly rejected prior restraint on free speech and likely would overturn the worst parts of these censorship bills. But it would be better if, like Wikipedia promised to do today, the bills themselves were turned off. Orange County Register editorial
OTHER AREAS
Fresno Bee: Highway 99 casino plans should be stopped -- The North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians has been trying for years to build an off-reservation casino on Highway 99 north of Madera, and has moved a step closer to its goal. But it's the wrong location for a Las Vegas-style casino and Gov. Jerry Brown should kill the plan. Fresno Bee editorial
San Francisco Chronicle: 49ers ugly fan element -- It's a shame that a blend of alcohol, testosterone and absence of rationality can cause a few hooligans to ruin the Candlestick experience for others. It's the duty of all good fans to alert security to such behavior, whether in the parking lot or the stands, and for authorities to move quickly to eject or arrest the troublemakers. San Francisco Chronicle editorial
Contra Costa Times: Fire district plunges further into debt to buy building -- It's disappointing to see a public agency take on more debt when it's already buried in it -- especially when the money will go toward a speculative real estate deal and when there were better alternatives that involved less taxpayer risk. Contra Costa Times editorial
Bakersfield Californian: Taking some lessons from the Duquette affair -- Now that the Kern County Board of Supervisors has taken the proper course of action and agreed upon the terms of Diane Duquette's resignation as Kern County libraries director, it's time for a countywide review of policies and practices related to the use of county vehicles and other equipment -- and of supervisors' time away from the office. Bakersfield Californian editorial
