San Joaquin Valleyfornia

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Morning political briefing 03.16.09

Modesto Bee: Stanislaus leaders take small, important wish list to D.C. – A delegation from Stanislaus County is headed to Washington, D.C., this week to make a case for federal help with four major projects. We would challenge anyone to call them frivolous. Here's what local officials are asking for. Modesto Bee editorial

California's state work force grew despite budget woes, cut promises – California state government's full-time work force continues to grow despite Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's order to freeze hiring amid a historic budget shortfall. Sacramento Bee article

State faces new budget shortfall, new tax ideas – Less than a month after the Legislature approved more than $12 billion in tax increases to help bridge a $41 billion budget deficit, Democratic lawmakers have proposed more tax and fee measures they say would curb devastating cuts to state programs. San Francisco Chronicle article

Dan Walters: Budget mess for new governor is becoming California tradition – One might conclude from that four-decade history that Democratic governors were more careful stewards of the public purse than Republicans. But a more accurate reading of history is that every one of those Republican governors inherited a fiscal mess of some dimension – Ronald Reagan from Pat Brown, George Deukmejian from Jerry Brown, Pete Wilson from Deukmejian, and Schwarzenegger from Davis. Walters column in Sacramento Bee

Bill would aid Hmong family farms in Valley -- A state lawmaker is nearing a deal with labor unions on a bill that would allow Southeast Asian growers to forgo workers' compensation coverage of family members. Fresno Bee article

J. Clark Kelso: Prison health care reform can save money – California's prison health care receiver writes that a great deal of taxpayer money has been invested in California's prison health system. But a great deal can be saved if we fully implement our cost-effective solutions. The receivership must fulfill its mission. Kelso column in Sacramento Bee

Jerry Roberts/Phil Trounstine: Will Feinstein run for governor? – Two former political editors write that at a time when a Democrat is president and her party dominates both houses of Congress, Feinstein's clout in Washington is greater than ever, and still growing. Look for her to take yet another pass on the governor's race, sealing her reputation as the chief window-shopper of California politics. Roberts/Trounstine op-ed in LA Times

Contenders line up for attorney general – Six Democrats, including San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo and four present or former state lawmakers, have filed campaign papers to run for Brown's seat. Sacramento Bee article

State GOP turns on itself, risks mid-term losses – The California Republican Party has been pummeled by some tough body blows in recent years - and results at the ballot box have been just part of the pain. San Francisco Chronicle article

State's higher tax on 'alcopops' fizzling out – Under a new state law, beverages such as Smirnoff Ice are supposed to be taxed as liquor. But manufacturers say they've changed their recipes to continue fitting into the lower-taxed beer category. LA Times article

E.J. Dionne: National service proposals deserve quick passage -- Both Barack and Michelle Obama have a passion for the service idea, and, with almost no fanfare, the United States is close to making its largest commitment to civilian service since the New Deal. Dionne column

Morning news briefing 03.16.09

Job, home losses crippling school kids – The downward-spiraling economy is taking its toll on everyone. Schoolchildren are no exception. Many are too young to understand their parents' struggles, but they notice the tension. From losing their homes to foreclosure to parents losing jobs, money is tight and the youngsters begin taking on some of the same stress adults grapple with. Modesto Bee article

Many dismayed as strapped San Joaquin districts look to cut arts – All around the county, school districts are making budget cuts and layoffs that will tear at arts programs that include drawing, pottery and photography. Other subjects such as music, drama, and industrial arts are on the chopping block, as well. Stockton Record article

Valley health foundation may close -- Dwindling funding may force the 37-year-old San Joaquin Valley Health Consortium to close, a board member said last week. Fresno Bee article

Meeting provides Merced residents chance to discuss high-speed rail – The California High Speed Rail Authority will hold a meeting in Merced on Wednesday to provide information to the public and collect input about a bullet train system slated to eventually connect Los Angeles to the Bay Area. Merced Sun-Star article

Banks exchange cash for keys to get people out of Kern foreclosed properties -- Occupants who aren't cooperative with those trying to make cash-for-keys offers can land in court. The idea is to get the occupants out of the home. The offers are intended to help tenants with some of their moving costs, not serve as relocation packages. Bakersfield Californian article

Mike Tharp: It's time to start thinking big again – Dam! We need a dam. A dam like New Exchequer Dam. Like McSwain Dam. We need a project like those two Merced Irrigation District hydroelectric powerhouses dating from 1967 -- when they were finished -- and the improvements made all along the timeline. Tharp column in Merced Sun-Star

Growth-restricting deal earns Stockton a rare spot among green cities – In January 2008, the city promised to measure and reduce its carbon footprint, and it became the first Central Valley city to require that future municipal buildings meet strict standards for green building and design. Popular Science magazine rated Stockton No. 49 on its list of the nation's 50 greenest cities. Stockton Record article

Amid tight budgets, many are growing food – Industry surveys show double-digit growth in the number of home gardeners this year and mail-order companies report such a tremendous demand that some have run out of seeds for basic vegetables such as onions, tomatoes and peppers. Merced Sun-Star article

Is Kern interchange on fast track or cold freeze? -- Remember the huge commercial center with a Bass Pro Shops and new interchange planned for 99 and Hosking? That one. The 96-acre, million-square-foot Bakersfield Gateway project. Folks have been asking about it, so here's an update. Bakersfield Californian article

Workers quietly help Sacramento street people, guide them toward housing – Navigators walk the streets daily and chat up the homeless. While Oprah Winfrey and the media recently focused on a tent city outside the city's core, the Downtown Partnership has worked for years to get street people in the city center into housing. Sacramento Bee article

Turlock wheelchair athlete featured on Cheerios box -- Joe Velasquez of Turlock has won a lot of honors as a Navy veteran, a wheelchair athlete and a man who inspires others. He's just claimed another award, perhaps the most unusual -- he's pictured on a cereal box. Modesto Bee article

Valley editorial roundup 03.16.09

Merced Sun-Star – Speaker Pelosi can't let public lands bill get caught up by gun-rights amendments.

Modesto Bee – A delegation from Stanislaus County is headed to Washington, D.C., this week to make a case for federal help with four major projects. We would challenge anyone to call them frivolous.

Sacramento Bee – You will get no argument from Peter Block that the country is in crisis and that people who have lost their jobs or homes are suffering deeply.

Stockton Record – It's a difficult transition, but Grant community will find students better served; East Bay Municipal Utility district, environmentalists can meet in the middle to save species.

Visalia Times-Delta – Anyone interested in seeing what might be will be interested in checking out the visions for the Lincoln Oval Park area that are the result of a traffic study being conducted on that area.

Sunday political briefing 03.15.09

Jim Boren: Governor rubbing salt in the wounds of the jobless – The shameful way California's unemployment offices treat workers who have lost their jobs says a lot about how out of touch Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the state's lawmakers are with the real problems that confront residents of the Golden State. Boren column in Fresno Bee

Valley reps reaching out to tweet followers with news … or not – San Joaquin Valley lawmakers are finding new means to pour their words into the ears of constituents. Such high-tech tools as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook have joined the old standby -- the news release. Even e-mail is old hat, as lawmakers and their tech-savvy staffers try telling their stories in fresh ways. Modesto Bee article

Dan Walters: Do California primaries need to change? – Is a ballot measure that overhauls California elections, promises to increase moderation in the Legislature and is equally despised by red-blooded conservatives and true-blue liberals automatically a good thing? Walters column in Sacramento Bee

California plans $4-billion tax-free bond financing -- Treasurer Bill Lockyer said Friday that he hoped to sell $4 billion in tax-free general-obligation bonds the week of March 23 to raise cash for infrastructure projects that have been delayed by the state's budget debacle. LA Times article

Prison medical plan may far exceed need – Some experts consider the strategy to create 10,000 long-term medical and mental health beds wildly beyond the need. Adjusted to the prison population, prisoners would have access to up to 120 times as many beds as those used by the general public. Sacramento Bee article

California prison received paid 7 times more than state's prison director – Given the state's budget woes, the prison health care receivership has raised eyebrows for generous compensation of its employees. A state audit exposed exorbitant salaries in 2007 at the quasi-public agency. Yet enormous salaries remain common. Sacramento Bee article

Children's group rates legislators on 2008 votes – When it comes to protecting children's interests, there are no 100 percenters in the California Legislature, the San Diego-based Children's Advocacy Institute says. Capitol Alert

Sacramento Bee: Bill to aid foster kids – The day you turn 18, you come home to find the door locked. You're homeless, on your own – no money, no job and no place to live. That is the harsh reality facing too many of California's 4,500 youths who at 18 "age" out of the state's foster-care system every year. Sacramento Bee editorial

States weigh cost of death penalty -- With executions in decline, some lawmakers want to abolish capital punishment, citing expenses as a factor. LA Times article

California lags in posting government data online -- About half of all states post more key public information online than California, according to a national survey conducted by media organizations as part of Sunshine Week, an annual effort designed to bring attention to open government. Sacramento Bee article

Obama's judge appointments will reshape California courts – President Obama is preparing to name six new federal judges for California, an opportunity to put his stamp on the judiciary that has court-watchers recalling his campaign promises to make selections in a bipartisan manner and to name judges with "empathy" and "heart." LA Times article; Makeup of California federal courts

Recession shuts up talk radio -- For all the anti-tax swagger and the occasional stunts by personalities like KFI's John and Ken, the reality is that conservative talk radio in California is on the wane. The economy's downturn has depressed ad revenue at stations across the state, thinning the ranks of conservative broadcasters. LA Times article

Sunday news briefing 03.15.09

Too many Valley children slipping through cracks – Among California's 20 biggest counties, Fresno County is one of the worst when it comes to meeting standards for child protection, The Fresno Bee found in an analysis of state data. Fresno Bee article

Tax credits lure buyers of Valley homes – If Wes Tarvin and his wife, Muey, are any indication, a new $10,000 tax credit designed to spur new-home sales appears to be working. Fresno Bee article

Builders' January report sees 64 percent drop in state -- The losing streak that defined last year for the home building industry continued in the first month of the new one, the California Building Industry Association said Friday. The downturn was less severe than in Yuba and Sutter counties, Solano-Fairfield, Stockton, Modesto, Merced and Fresno, statistics indicated. Sacramento Bee article

Forest City pullout may open new opportunities in Fresno -- Jose Lorenzo once planned a 17,000-square-foot building near Chukchansi Park to complement his growing restaurant supply business, but he said he backed down because development plans by Forest City Enterprises in the same area made it too difficult. Fresno Bee article

Valley businesses make big shifts to survive – Many businesses have discovered they need to do more than just cut expenses or bump up marketing. To survive today's grim economy, they're changing fundamental aspects of their product line or service. Fresno Bee article

Lois Henry: Dodgy science strangles trucking industry – When you scratch the surface of the alleged science used by CARB to justify the diesel emissions rules, there's just no "there" there. Our air is NOT killing us, despite what the "environmental alarmist complex" would have us believe. Henry column in Bakersfield Californian

Mojave airport: A bright spot in gloomy economy -- Located in the Mojave Desert in southeastern Kern County, where the sun often shines and the wind always blows, the space port and the surrounding region may be experiencing the first edge of the so-called Green Economy. Bakersfield Californian article

Kathy Read: Green jobs will rescue economy, help communities – The former publisher of the Wilson Quarterly writes that critics who say that federally created "green jobs" waste taxpayers' money and don't benefit the economy obviously haven't thoroughly analyzed the $5 billion plus weatherization project in President Obama's stimulus package. Read op-ed in Fresno Bee

Andrew P. Morriss: Recession won't be ended by green jobs – The University of Illinois-Urbana professor writes that there are three major problems with the Obama administration's green jobs proposals. Morriss op-ed in Fresno Bee

Bakersfield Californian: Merit pay idea has real merit – The time has come to pay our best teachers what they're worth and challenge every student to achieve his or her best with an education that is both rigorous and humanizing. Bakersfield Californian editorial

Sacramento Bee: Ambitious plan aims at school equity – Call it the Barack Obama/ Kevin Johnson effect. Suddenly, school leaders all over Sacramento are talking about educational equity. Sacramento Bee editorial

Support program for black students a Delta College success story – The 18-year-old Cristal Harris is studying foreign language at San Joaquin Delta College and is immersed in a growing program that aims to bring black students here, keep them here, and see that they succeed here. Stockton Record article

Bill McEwen: If KIPP gets its house in order, storm may pass -- Much work remains and the school is in default on a loan for its building, but there's reason to believe that KIPP Academy will continue providing Fresno kids a first-rate alternative to traditional public education. McEwen column in Fresno Bee

Feds may suspend changes to H-2A program – The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration proposes suspending for nine months of a final rule implementing changes to the H-2A program, which allows U.S. agricultural businesses to employ foreign workers in temporary or seasonal agricultural jobs. Central Valley Business Times article

Does Lodi stadium have a future? – For every person that sees the ailing Grape Bowl stadium as one of Lodi's most exceptional displays of neglect, there are others who see its untapped potential. Stockton Record article

Fatal DUI wrecks: How many years do killers stay in jail? -- The Californian reviewed 14 fatal DUI cases dating back to 1985 to see what happened to the suspects. We looked at people charged with both manslaughter and murder. The results were starkly different. Bakersfield Californian article

Valley editorial roundup 03.15.09

Bakersfield Californian – The time has come to pay our best teachers what they're worth and challenge every student to achieve his or her best with an education that is both rigorous and humanizing.

Fresno Bee – Sunshine Week starts today with a focus on the public's right to know; Courts strike a heavy blow against free speech in case in Orange County.

Modesto Bee – Open government is more vital than ever.

Sacramento Bee – Call it the Barack Obama/ Kevin Johnson effect. Suddenly, school leaders all over Sacramento are talking about educational equity; In the past when budget battles heat up, foster kids have always been an early and easy sacrifice, a fate they don't deserve.

Stockton Record – President Obama's move on stems cells is a boon to research.

Saturday political briefing 03.14.09

Sacramento Bee: Stimulus can't fix all of California's woes – California officials should resist the urge to bank too much on the package to fix what ails the state's budget problems. It can help in the short term. But over the long run, as Friday's report from the Legislative Analyst comfirms, state officials, are going to have to do even more than they already have to cut spending and perhaps raise revenues to get the state's books back into the black. Sacramento Bee editorial

Bill protects children in immigration raids – A bill recently introduced in the state Assembly would create guidelines for schools to follow to protect children from intimidation -- and keep them in school -- during immigration raids, such as those that swept through Mendota two years ago. Fresno Bee article

Voting by mail in special election encouraged in Stanislaus – Voters will have to travel farther to vote in the May 19 special election, so County Clerk Lee Lundrigan is offering an alternative: vote by mail. Modesto Bee article

Sacramento Bee: Dissent takes a beating in court – The right to free speech doesn't stop when someone is elected to a public body. Yet in a ruling that can only be described as "Orwellian," the California courts have seriously undercut the free-speech protections of individual elected officials. Sacramento Bee editorial

California to push for dismissal of fed's prison health czar – As seems to happen so often these days, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and California prison officials will face off in court again Monday against the prison health czar charged with bringing inmate health care up to a constitutional level. Sacramento Bee article

Francine Farber: Time to move to popular vote for president – The president of the League of Women Voters of Fresno writes that the League of Women Voters has long supported a change in this process to move toward direct election of our president. Farber op-ed in Fresno Bee

Ex-Assembly member from Valley dies at 90 -- Ernest N. Mobley campaigned in Europe in World War II and later battled politically in the state Assembly, where he watched over Valley interests from the powerful Ways and Means Committee. Fresno Bee article

Saturday news briefing 03.14.09

Clovis layoffs sign of struggling local governments – Throughout the Valley, cities and counties are shedding workers at a pace unseen in years. Government jobs, which used to be considered stable, are becoming nearly as endangered as private-sector jobs. Fresno Bee article

Valley teachers, parents, students protest budget cuts – Valley teachers and their supporters joined thousands across the state in public demonstrations highlighting state budget cuts to education. Fresno Bee article; Bakersfield Californian article; Visalia Times-Delta article; Hanford Sentinel article; Merced Sun-Star article; Modesto Bee article; Stockton Record article; Lodi News-Sentinel article

Rural Kings water district squeezing to make every drop count – Actually, the delivered amount from the State Water Project is only 15 percent this year, but Dudley Ridge managers have cobbled together water transfers and water bank carryovers to eke their way up to the 55 percent equivalent. Hanford Sentinel article

Stanislaus doctors program loses its funding – The Stanislaus Family Medicine Residency Program, which has trained young doctors since 1975, has lost its federal funding and that has put its future in doubt. Modesto Bee article

Lodi nets $2.2 million in funding – With terms like "stimulus" and "shovel-ready" being tossed around, one thing is clear: Cities are pitching project proposals to anyone and everyone who will look at them. Lodi News-Sentinel article

San Joaquin homeowners obtain lowered property assessments in droves – Some 52,000 homeowners in San Joaquin County had their property tax lowered last year due to the decreasing value of their homes. That's about one-third of all the houses in the county. Lodi News-Sentinel article

Tough economy: Some child care spots open as parents lose jobs – It's tough to pinpoint the region's precise child care capacity because commercial and home-based centers open and close every month, but there's anecdotal evidence that vacancies are on the upswing. Bakersfield Californian article

Forest City ends downtown Fresno project – Forest City Enterprises on Friday abandoned the proposed South Stadium Project, a $300 million mix of housing and commercial businesses in downtown Fresno. Fresno Bee article

Central High athletes show strengths as reading mentors -- Central High School football players have traded weight-lifting time to read books to elementary students throughout the district, part of a new program to encourage reading and good health in their younger peers. Fresno Bee article

Effort to save Tulare rail line leads to change in Measure R – During the county's One Voice trip to the Capitol last month, local officials were told the rail line should be a top priority for federal funding requests, according to meeting minutes of the Tulare County Association of Governments, the agency charged with overseeing Measure R — the half-cent county sales tax dedicated to transportation projects. Visalia Times-Delta article

Web site keeps an eye on San Joaquin carbon – For years, scientists have struggled to pinpoint the many sources of carbon dioxide, a leading cause of climate change. For the first time, you can see some answers on your computer screen. A team of researchers has developed a Google Earth map that cuts up the carbon pie for every county in the United States. Stockton Record article

Growers seek prominence for Valley grapes – The valley group aims to raise the reputation of grapes grown between Stockton and Bakersfield. This stretch produces most of California's harvest, but at prices far below what growers get in Lodi, Napa and other premium areas. Modesto Bee article

Hay prices take a dive -- Alfalfa growers in the state, is experiencing one of the biggest price drops in recent memory. Last year, premium hay was selling for about $250 a ton. And early prices for premium hay from Imperial Valley, one of the state's leading producers, now are about $100 less a ton. Fresno Bee article

California canneries pay record tomato prices – After an extraordinary jump in tomato exports in 2008, California canneries are paying record prices and asking farmers to deliver a record crop. But drought is squeezing planting in key parts of the Central Valley, and it's not clear the state will be able to deliver on the 26.6 billion-pound request. Sacramento Bee article

Broadband gets boost in rural San Joaquin areas – Dozens of San Joaquin County households in areas near Lodi and Oakdale will gain access to high-speed Internet broadband services under incentive grant projects approved this week by state utility regulators. Stockton Record article

California's flu season is lightest in years – The flu season in California this winter is turning out to be one of the mildest in recent years. The number of severe influenza cases resulting in deaths in children is also down. There have been three pediatric influenza-associated deaths so far this winter, including one in Fresno County. LA Times article

Clinical trials slowed by lack of patients – Enrollment shortages have delayed or canceled trials on experimental therapies. Researchers are trying to reverse that trend, in part by using databases to connect patients with possible new cures. LA Times article

County Bank's demise leaves many questions – It didn't have to be this way. Maybe County Bank could have made it. Maybe a Dutch white knight could have rescued Merced's only publicly traded corporation. Merced Sun-Star article

Some feel burned as media spotlight shines of Sacramento homeless camp – Sacramento's humble "tent city" has gone international. Across the country and around the world, newspaper readers and television viewers are being introduced to the sprawling campground where 100 to 200 homeless men and women sleep each night. Sacramento Bee article

Marylee Shrider: Absence of newspapers hurts communities -- Love it or hate it, the local paper is the personality of a place and its people; a presence that aggravates, uplifts and informs. A presence many won't appreciate until it's gone. Shrider column in Bakersfield Californian

Saturday editorial roundup 03.14.09

Fresno Bee – The Obama administration must pay more attention to the escalating violence on the border between the United States and Mexico.

Merced Sun-Star – California has an obligation to see its 4,500 wards get the help they need to survive as adults.

Modesto Bee – Saturday shorts on elder abuse, raises for Yosemite Community College District administrators, the proposed Ag Science Center and other issues.

Sacramento Bee – In a ruling that can only be described as "Orwellian," the California courts have seriously undercut the free-speech protections of individual elected officials; Stimulus can't fix all of California's woes.

Visalia Times-Delta – The Lincoln Oval traffic study and needs assessment alternatives are now available for review online.