February 12, 2018

12Feb

TOP POLITICAL STORIES​​​​​​​

Local/Regional Politics:

Devin Nunes: Tulare County’s favorite son in historic spotlight

Visalia Times-Delta

Devin Nunes has always been a fighter. Most Tulare County voters first noticed Nunes in 1998 when he launched a successful legal battle to run for U.S. Congress after Tulare County elections officials moved to strike his name from the primary ballot. He eventually lost that race but made a name for himself in local politics.

See also:

Nunes challenger Janz to step away from deputy DA job to focus on campaign

Fresno Bee

Andrew Janz, a deputy district attorney running against Republican Devin Nunes for Congress, will soon take a leave of absence from the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. Janz, a Democrat, has saturated national media recently with appearances on CNN, VICE, MSNBC and interviews in a half-dozen online publications after the release of a now-infamous Nunes memo, which accuses the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice of acting with political bias during an investigation.

Eggman: Denham stands with Trump, not Valley’s people

Modesto Bee

When running against Congressman Jeff Denham in 2016, he told the Los Angeles Times, “People know I will stand up to my own party.” Well, Congressman Denham, we don’t. Since President Donald Trump was sworn into office a year ago, Denham has been a rubber stamp for Trump’s dangerous agenda. The Trump administration’s careless approach to seemingly all key issues – from health care to taxes to foreign affairs – garners an overwhelming response daily from lawmakers, activists and everyday folks right in the Valley. Denham, however, clearly is unwilling to step out of line.

Bad air quality has health experts warning Valley residents

abc30

Experts say those warmer than usual temperatures and lack of rain are adding to our health woes. The smoggy haze settling over the Valley isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, so the health cautionary statement issued by the Valley Air Pollution Control District last week remains in effect. “When the pressure builds and pollution stagnates we end up with an increase in particulate pollution so that means you’ll see particulate matter rise,” Heather Heinks said.

Bakersfield legislators ask state for $3 million in fight against valley fever

Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield lawmakers this week requested $3 million in the state budget to research treatments and conduct outreach for valley fever, an insidious respiratory disease endemic to Kern County that infected more people last year in California than in the state’s history. The budget proposal — requested by state Sen. Jean Fuller and Assembly members Vince Fong and Rudy Salas — comes during a critical time for valley fever, which has attracted unprecedented legislative attention this year. Salas and Fong introduced six bills in January addressing reporting guidelines, data collection, laboratory testing procedures, doctor training and worker safety.

Though Valley economy seems healthy, some jobs lost in the Great Recession still are gone

Fresno Bee

In 2007, more people in Fresno County had jobs than at any previous point in the county’s history. The central San Joaquin Valley’s economy was relatively healthy, and the county’s annual unemployment rate was 8.6 percent – higher than the state average but the third-lowest measurement of any year since 1990.

Valley Citrus Grower Loses 90 Workers Ahead of ICE Inspection

Valley Public Radio

The law enforcement agency Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, may be ramping up its inspections of worksites—and a Valley grower is one of the first to feel the consequences. Fowler-based Bee Sweet Citrus says it may have lost a fifth of its workforce in anticipation of an inspection by ICE. The federal agency notified Bee Sweet that later this month, it would conduct an I-9 inspection. Meaning the company will need to hand over the forms that verify the identity and employment authorization of each of its employees.

See also:

Opinion: Don’t leave rural California behind

CAFWD

The economic renaissance in California over the last decade has been robust, but not evenly widespread. While the Golden State leads the nation in a number of industries, the rural-urban divide is greater than ever. Bob Williams is a Tehama County supervisor and former chair of the Rural County Representatives of California(RCRC), a 35-county service organization that champions policies on behalf of California’s rural counties.

Merced mayor deliver State of the City speech

The Fresno Bee

In a sweeping speech about the health of Merced economy, the mayor urged people to buy local and to rethink how they talk about the city, saying negative talk from residents on the street killed a deal with a major grocery chain. Mayor Mike Murphy on Friday gave his second State of the City address in which he touted new businesses in town and announced new projects. He also said the city was recently working on a deal with WinCo Foods but the deal folded, Murphy told the crowd, after locals badmouthed their own city to WinCo representatives who were conducting market research.

Opinion: Clovis Unified, Buchanan High don’t fool anyone by continuing to bury the truth

Fresno Bee

Buchanan High held a community outreach meeting the other night. As a member of the community who lives less than a mile from campus, I decided to go.

Fresno police send 75 officers onto streets to head off gang war

Fresno Bee

Seventy-five Fresno police officers are on alert for more gang violence this weekend as Chief Jerry Dyer and his department are trying to stop a series of retaliatory shootings that have resulted in one person killed and five wounded since Thursday afternoon. The gun violence involving southwest Fresno gang members took place both in the southwest area Thursday afternoon and evening, and on Blackstone Avenue in central Fresno early Friday and near Community Regional Medical Center later in the day.

See also:

Latino Life: New CTEC High accepting applications

ABC30

Imagine earning a high school diploma and college degree before you are 18 years old. The idea will soon be a reality in Fresno County. The Fresno County Office of Education is opening a new charter high school in the fall. It’s called Career Technical Education Charter High School or CTEC High. The free, public charter high school is under construction and will include a state-of-the-art $6-million shop.

County gets good news about financial status

Madera Tribune

Madera County is financially fit, the Board of Supervisors heard at its meeting on Tuesday. That is a long hop from a few years ago when the county was verging on bankruptcy because of the economic collapse that had hit the valley.

Critics keep pressing city officials; recall is threatened

Madera Tribune

Madera City Council members were met on the steps of City Hall Wednesday night by a television crew and a group of protesters holding recall signs as the council members gathered for a regularly scheduled council meeting. A check with the county election office indicated no recall papers had been pulled.

City Council lays out plans for Visalia’s future

Visalia Times-Delta

Over the course of two days, Visalia City Council members and city officials met for the annual strategic planning meeting. The group spent hours reviewing and discussing 2017 projects, upcoming projects and topics of interest. At the start of Thursday’s meeting, each council member was asked to sum up their main wish for 2018.

Jones criticizes fellow council member Sigala after Sacramento trip

Visalia Times-Delta

Tulare Mayor Carlton Jones criticized Councilman Jose Sigala, who said he was the city’s representative for a recent trip to Sacramento to support an audit request into Tulare hospital’s finances. Jones said Tulare City Council didn’t approve Sigala’s trip or authorize him to represent the city during a hearing.

Judge’s election papers cause trouble for state, county employees

Visalia Times-Delta

A Tulare County sheriff’s deputy and state official are accused of campaigning for a judge on the taxpayers’ dime. Now, the deputy is on administrative leave and the superior court consultant has been reprimanded. It started in December when longtime Judge Melinda Reed pulled papers for her re-election. Incumbent candidates are required to gather signatures for their nomination, but can also use those signatures to reduce filing fees.

City going forward with plan addressing pedestrian, bicyclist safety

The Bakersfield Californian

The City of Bakersfield is now able to move forward in developing a plan that aims to reduce injuries and fatalities of bicyclists and pedestrians in town. The City Council approved a resolution during its Feb. 7 meeting that allows City Manager Alan Tandy to enter in agreement with the California Department of Transportation to help fund a Bicyclist and Pedestrian Safety Plan.

Local and national groups participate in recent efforts to combat human trafficking

Bakersfield Californian

Recent efforts to combat human trafficking have been implemented both nationally and locally as law enforcement attempts to crack down on those preying on young women and selling them for sex. It’s a widespread problem. A total of 4,460 cases of human trafficking were reported nationwide last year, including 705 in California, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

Tastries Bakery owner sits down to tell her story

Bakersfield Californian

Cathy Miller, owner of Tastries Bakery, says she never expected the level of attention she’s received regarding her refusal to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple last summer. During an exclusive interview with reporter Steven Mayer, Miller describes in her own words what happened the day the controversy began, and what has happened since.

See also:

Modesto is the 33rd “best performing” city in America? Believe it

The Modesto Bee

When you see Modesto on a list of “Best Performing Cities,” most people would immediately think of George Lucas or Jeremy Renner or the latest lineup at the Gallo Center. But we’re not talking about acting; we’re talking about economicperformance. Modesto? On the good side of a money list?

Turlock chief addresses worries over hate groups

Modesto Bee

The apparent rise of activity among white supremacists in the Northern San Joaquin Valley has prompted several cities to take action, condemning hate speech and pledging inclusion of all groups.

Without literacy, all of our freedoms are in danger

The Modesto Bee

Literacy matters. Teachers, librarians, policymakers and even probation officers all will tell you that. But no one knows it better than someone who can’t, or couldn’t, read. David Geren realized the value of reading and comprehending the written word while sitting in his jail cell. The victim of his own bad choices, the 29-year-old Oakdale man had a child but no job and no prospects.

Fitzgerald: The wonk behind the mayor

Stockton Record

One of the falsest criticisms of Mayor Michael Tubbs is his creation of three cushy positions in the Mayor’s Office. What an outrage, such extravagance, how dare he, etc. In fact, Stockton’s last mayor, Anthony Silva (who already had one staffer, an executive assistant) asked for more staff; it went on the 2016 ballot; voters approved two more positions, passing Measure O with 56 percent.

See also:

Filing period starts next week for important June primary

Stockton Record

It may be a primary election, but there will be plenty on the line come June 5.And now’s the time to get involved if you’re so inclined.The San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters Office will begin accepting candidates for federal, state and county offices Monday.And those interested in running for the Stockton City Council can turn in their paperwork to the city clerk starting on Tuesday. Both filing periods end on March 9.

State Politics:

Myers: One of California’s most powerful posts has been empty for almost six months

Los Angeles Times

Gov. Jerry Brown’s answer to a reporter’s question during a January news conference was both evasive and, by the end, unflinchingly honest. The topic was his search for a new California Supreme Court justice. “It’s going very well,” Brown said cagily. “I’m searching my mind very carefully.”

Governor appoints former deputy commissioner as head of CHP

Sacramento Bee

Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday announced the appointment of Warren Stanley, 56, as commissioner of the California Highway Patrol. Stanley, who has climbed the ranks at the state’s law enforcement agency since 1982, most recently served as the department’s acting commissioner following the departure of former Commissioner Joe Farrow. Farrow accepted a position as chief of police at UC Davis last August.

Gubernatorial candidate positions on Governor Brown’s California WaterFix (“twin tunnels”) project:

Gubernatorial candidates gather to discuss issues that matter to black women

Sacramento Bee

A first-of-its-kind forum is coming Tuesday to the Crest Theatre: Gubernatorial candidates talking about issues that directly impact African American women, hosted by African American women.

Democratic candidates for governor make promises to union workers ahead of key endorsement vote

Los Angeles Times

Days before one of California’s most powerful labor unions announces its endorsement in the race for governor, the four top Democratic candidates courted members of the group’s largest and most influential local chapter in Los Angeles on Thursday night.

Ad portrays Newsom as trailblazer on same-sex marriage

Los Angeles Times

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom launched his first digital ad in the governor’s race on Monday, timed to the 14-year anniversary of when San Francisco issued the first marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The minute-long spot argues that Newsom showed courage by being out front on issues such as gay marriage as well as universal healthcare and gun control.

See also:

California police chiefs back Antonio Villaraigosa for governor

Los Angeles Times

The California Police Chiefs Assn. on Monday endorsed former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for California governor, the second major law enforcement organization to back the Democratic candidate. In January, Villaraigosa was also endorsed by the Peace Officers Research Assn. of California, the largest law enforcement organization in the state, with 70,000 members.

GOP candidate for California governor Travis Allen courts Trump voters at campaign rally on Capitol steps

Los Angeles Times

Calling himself the only “true conservative” in California’s race for governor, Republican Travis Allen revived up a crowd of supporters at the state Capitol Sunday with praise for President Trump and calls for cutting taxes and securing the border.

How will the #MeToo movement shape California’s race for governor? Voters are starting to find out

Los Angeles Times

When Gavin Newsom and Antonio Villaraigosa entered the governor’s race, it was widely assumed that their past extramarital affairs were behind them. The details about their relationships when they served as mayors of San Francisco and Los Angeles, respectively, had been aired more than a decade ago, both men had settled down and established families and voters seemed uninterested in politicians’ peccadilloes.

California Politics Podcast: One member of the Legislature won’t be on the job this week

Los Angeles Times

Lawmakers returning to the state Capitol on Monday will find that one of their colleagues has taken a leave of absence after new sexual misconduct allegations. And the case again raises important questions about how these investigations should proceed. This week’s California Politics Podcast episode examines the accusations made against Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), as well as the final action last week on a new law granting whistleblower protections to legislative employees.

See also:

California’s ambitious education reforms paying off in higher graduation rates and math scores, study finds

EdSource

California’s sweeping education reforms championed by Gov. Jerry Brown have resulted in higher graduation rates and especially sizable gains in math among low-income students in the 11th grade, according to a new study. “The evidence suggests that money targeted to students’ needs can make a significant difference in student outcomes and narrow achievement gaps,” the study by researchers at UC Berkeley and the Learning Policy Institute found.

California may up its rehab efforts to keep ex-inmates from returning to prison

CALmatters

Gov. Jerry Brown wants to add millions in new spending on programs to help former inmates stay out of jail—a proposal generating bipartisan praise because of concern they are returning to prison in large numbers. But some say it still isn’t enough.

Getting homeless people off California streets is tough. One lawmaker has an idea.

Sacramento Bee

As housing costs soar across California, homelessness is increasing – especially in big cities – while it has shrunk in most of the nation. The problem, seemingly intractable, must be addressed statewide, rather than just city-by-city, to make a real dent in the number of people sleeping on the streets, says San Francisco Assemblyman David Chiu.

California has a plan to skirt the GOP tax law. IRS veterans say it is likely doomed.

Washington Post

California’s plan to shield residents from a tax hike under President Trump’s tax planis likely to fail, said seven former high-ranking Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department officials.

See also:

Federal Politics:

As White House Releases Budget, Congress Sets Spending Priorities

New York Times

President Trump on Monday will present a budget blueprint that proposes deep cuts to domestic programs and a large increase for the military, but which has little relevance following the sweeping two-year spending plan approved last week that contained big boosts across the board.

See also:

Trump launches $1.5 trillion infrastructure sales pitch

POLITICO

The White House finally rolled out President Donald Trump’s long-awaited infrastructure plan Monday, swinging for the fences with a $1.5 trillion initiative that is light on new federal dollars — but could inspire a wave of toll roads, ease decades-old regulations and permanently change cities’ and states’ expectations for assistance from Washington. “It is time to give Americans the working, modern infrastructure they deserve,” Trump said in a message to Congress accompanying his “legislative outline.”

See also:

Trump Administration Plans To Defang Consumer Protection Watchdog

Capradio.org

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was created after the financial crisis to protect Americans from being ripped off by financial firms. Now, President Trump’s interim appointee to run the bureau, Mick Mulvaney, is making radical changes to deter the agency from aggressively pursuing its mission.

Other:

ProPublica tool finds misleading political ads on Facebook

PBS NewsHour

Amid an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, Facebook came under fire for its opacity on how it targets political ads. A few months ago, ProPublica released Political Ad Collector, a tool that crowdsources the job of monitoring ads — including those that might not seem political at first. ProPublica’s Julia Angwin shares the findings with Hari Sreenivasan.

David Brooks: Everyone is a change maker

Fresno Bee

Bill Drayton invented the term “social entrepreneur” and founded Ashoka, the organization that supports 3,500 of them in 93 countries. He’s a legend in the nonprofit world, so Iwent to him to see if he could offer some clarity and hope in discouraging times. He did not disappoint.

The Eminent Libertarians Who Might Save Public Sector Unions

The Intercept

The Supreme Court will hear arguments this month in a case challenging the constitutionality of so-called agency fees, payments that workers represented by a union must pay if they do not wish to be dues-paying members. Conservatives have been crusading against these fees for years on First Amendment grounds, and with Justice Neil Gorsuch on the bench, the labor movement’s odds seem grim.

Why are black poor Americans more optimistic than white ones?

Brookings

America has seen a dramatic increase in the number of so-called “deaths of despair”. Caused by opioid addiction, alcohol or drug overdose and suicide, these deaths have hit middle-aged white people without a college education particularly hard. The trend is extensive enough to have driven up the overall mortality rate, with the U.S. in the unusual position of being a rich country where life expectancy is falling rather than going up.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING 

Sunday, February 18, at 10 a.m. on ABC 30 – Maddy Report: 2018: The Political Forecast​​ – Guests: John Myers (LA Times) and Dan Walters (CalMatters). Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, February 18, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) –Maddy Report: “State Politics: The Year Past & the Year Ahead” – Guests: John Myers (LA Times) and Dan Walters (CalMatters). Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, February 18, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – Informe Maddy:2018 Race for Governor: Former LA Mayor – Guest: Antonio Villaraigosa y Liam Dillon with the LA Times. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans..

Support the Maddy Daily HERE.

Thank you!

Topics in More Detail…

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

California Poised to Usurp Florida as the King of U.S. Oranges

Bloomberg

It’s been a miserable few years for Florida’s orange crop. And now to add insult to injury, California is gearing up to steal the Sunshine State’s crown as the king of U.S. citrus production. After a decade of the citrus-greening disease devastating Florida oranges, Hurricane Irma smashed into groves this year, inflicting yet another blow to the crop. Farmers in the state are set to collect 46 million boxes of the fruit this season, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Tuesday. That would be the smallest since 1945 and would match California’s harvest.

Legal pot shops have a problem – too much cash

Fresno Bee

Stung by robberies in California, Colorado, Washington and other states, the cannabis industry is pressing Congress to change federal banking laws so that its retailers no longer have to carry and process large amounts of cash. Yet lacking the lobbying muscle of their adversaries, the industry hasn’t gained much traction on Capitol Hill, leaving cannabis business owners and their employees vulnerable to thefts and violent crime.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE​ ​/​ ​FIRE​ ​/​ ​PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

Fresno police send 75 officers onto streets to head off gang war

Fresno Bee

Seventy-five Fresno police officers are on alert for more gang violence this weekend as Chief Jerry Dyer and his department are trying to stop a series of retaliatory shootings that have resulted in one person killed and five wounded since Thursday afternoon.

See also:

There’s a shortage of parks in southeast Fresno. One group steps up with plans to help

Fresno Bee

An organization’s pledge to adopt a former U.S. Department of Agriculture research site and maintain it as a future park could represent a significant step toward providing more recreation area for park-poor southeast Fresno.

Judge: California must consider earlier parole for sex offenders

ABC30

A state judge says California must consider earlier parole for potentially thousands of sex offenders, maybe even those convicted of pimping children. The ruling requires prison officials to rewrite part of the regulations for Proposition 57. The 2016 ballot measure allows earlier parole for most state prison inmates, but Governor Jerry Brown promised voters all sex offenders would be excluded. Friday, a judge in Sacramento said the scope of Prop 57 must be narrowed to only those now serving time for a violent sex offense.

California may up its rehab efforts to keep ex-inmates from returning to prison

CALmatters

Gov. Jerry Brown wants to add millions in new spending on programs to help former inmates stay out of jail—a proposal generating bipartisan praise because of concern they are returning to prison in large numbers. But some say it still isn’t enough. The proposed $50 million would expand job training for prisoners and assist them in finding jobs once they are released, such as training them to become firefighters. The governor’s budget plan also includes $106 million for an existing incentive program that rewards counties for reducing recidivism.

Public Safety:

Lawmakers should avoid rush to ramp up gun confiscations

OCRegister

An Associated Press report last week sounded rather shocking. State authorities conducted a raid in Los Angeles, where they “seized more than two dozen guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition” from a man who had reportedly been barred from owning firearms. Predictably, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra bemoaned a lack of funding and a long backlog in the state’s ability to collect such weapons.

Fire:

PG&E profits plunge in fourth quarter while utility confronts wildfire costs

The Mercury News

PG&E’s profits nose-dived in the fourth quarter of 2017, as costs related to lethal wildfires in the North Bay Wine Country during the period began to mount, the utility reported Friday. Over the final three months of 2017, PG&E earned $327 million, or 63 cents a share, from operations, which was down 51.6 percent from the same period a year earlier. The operating profits excluded certain one-time items.

ECONOMY / JOBS

 

Economy:

Though Valley economy seems healthy, some jobs lost in the Great Recession still are gone

Fresno Bee

In 2007, more people in Fresno County had jobs than at any previous point in the county’s history. The central San Joaquin Valley’s economy was relatively healthy, and the county’s annual unemployment rate was 8.6 percent – higher than the state average but the third-lowest measurement of any year since 1990.

California must invest in innovative manufacturers

Fox and Hounds Daily

California is known as a center of innovation, and to many innovation means the next big thing. That is certainly the goal of every startup or venture capital fund, but we should not forget those who are innovating to find new, efficient and sustainable ways to power our lives.

See also:

Leaving NAFTA would be a self-imposed economic disaster resulting in job losses for 1.8M US workers in every state

AEI

Below is the Executive Summary of a new research study “Terminating NAFTA: The National and State-by-State Impacts on Jobs, Exports and Output” prepared by Trade Partnership Worldwide for the Business Roundtable. Using a methodology that enables us to capture the full impacts (both positive and negative; direct and indirect) across the U.S. and international economies, we find that a termination of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) would have significant net negative impacts on the U.S. economy and U.S. employment, particularly over the immediate years after termination.

Jobs:

Elevate CA: It’s Not More Jobs—-It’s More Good Paying Jobs

California Economy Reporting

There are 5 million—that’s 5 MILLION—Californians who have jobs that pay only minimum wage. As attendees listened to a California Legislature hearing held at Norco College last Friday, another striking fact really jumped out: A sizeable number of those jobs are held by people who are the main wage earner in their households.

Paid leave will disrupt businesses hurt workers social security

National Review

Funding paid parental leave by allowing new parents to collect early Social Security benefits in exchange for delaying the collection of their retirement benefits decades in the future has been gaining traction in conservative circles. GOP senators Marco Rubio, Mike Lee, and Joni Ernst have signaled support, along with Ivanka Trump, as have writers here on the Corner.

Funding paid family leave through Social Security is a dangerous idea

AEI

Funding paid parental leave by allowing new parents to collect early Social Security benefits in exchange for delaying the collection of their retirement benefits decades in the future has been gaining traction in conservative circles. GOP senatorsMarco Rubio, Mike Lee, and Joni Ernst have signaled support, along with Ivanka Trump and writers on The Corner and AEIdeas.

EDUCATION

K-12:

County education officers explain their presence at YUSD

Sierra Star

In light of financial instability and continuing changes in personnel in various Yosemite Unified School District offices, Dr. Cecilia Massetti, Madera County Superintendent of Schools, and Steve Carney, MCOE Chief Business & Administrative Services Officer, held an informational meeting Thursday, Oct. 8, to explain the impact AB1200 has on the district.

Opinion: Clovis Unified, Buchanan High don’t fool anyone by continuing to bury the truth

Fresno Bee

Buchanan High held a community outreach meeting the other night. As a member of the community who lives less than a mile from campus, I decided to go.

STEAM Day aims to make learning fun

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Museum has begun offering spring events for children, with the museum holding its first STEAM Day of the year on Saturday. also served as volunteers, helping the children participate in the various activities.

California’s ambitious education reforms paying off in higher graduation rates and math scores, study finds

EdSource

California’s sweeping education reforms championed by Gov. Jerry Brown have resulted in higher graduation rates and especially sizable gains in math among low-income students in the 11th grade, according to a new study. “The evidence suggests that money targeted to students’ needs can make a significant difference in student outcomes and narrow achievement gaps,” the study by researchers at UC Berkeley and the Learning Policy Institute found.

Without literacy, all of our freedoms are in danger

The Modesto Bee

Literacy matters. Teachers, librarians, policymakers and even probation officers all will tell you that. But no one knows it better than someone who can’t, or couldn’t, read. David Geren realized the value of reading and comprehending the written word while sitting in his jail cell. The victim of his own bad choices, the 29-year-old Oakdale man had a child but no job and no prospects.

Betsy DeVos’ First Year: Education Experts Grade Trump Pick on Her Promises

Newsweek

A year after squeaking through a Senate vote to be named education secretary, Betsy DeVos has been handed her first report cards. And the verdict, as delivered Thursday to the Education Department by advocacy groups and school community members, marked her performance as a resounding failure. “Privatizing is not the answer to public education,” read one letter, stamped with an “F” in the corner. “We need an education secretary who will strongly strive for equity in terms of race and disability,” read another.

Higher Ed:

A Community College online? Jerry Brown’s plan re-imagines cyber learning, but faces skeptics

The Mercury News

Laticia Middleton perches in front of a computer at the Greater Sacramento Urban League’s job center, scanning employment ads. At 30, with two children, a high school diploma and a job at a call center, Middleton is the kind of student Gov. Jerry Brown has in mind as he pushes for a new online community college.

Cal State University Students Struggling With Lack of Housing, Food

The California Report – KQED News

At 57, Drake Davis doesn’t have much in common with his San Francisco State University classmates. He’s a former Army infantryman who had a brief career in talk radio and did a stint in the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota. One thing he does share with an estimated 50,000 California State University students: He struggles with homelessness.

See also:

ACT/SAT for all: A cheap, effective way to narrow income gaps in college

Brookings

There are many logistical hurdles on the road to college: financial aid forms, admissions essays, letters of recommendation, and entrance exams. There are dozens of details to remember, deadlines to meet, forms to complete, and fees to pay.  Parents who have gone through this themselves, and have the time and resources, can coach their children through this process.  Other kids are largely on their own.

Charts of the week: Advancing women and girls in science

Brookings

“On this International Day, I urge commitment to end bias, greater investments in science, technology, engineering and math education for all women and girls as well as opportunities for their careers and longer-term professional advancement so that all can benefit from their ground-breaking future contributions.” — UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Three years ago, the UN proclaimed February 11 the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

The Effects of Computers and Acquired Skills on Earnings, Employment and College Enrollment: Evidence from a Field Experiment and California UI Earnings Records

National Bureau of Economic Research

This paper provides the first evidence on the earnings, employment and college enrollment effects of computers and acquired skills from a randomized controlled trial providing computers to entering college students. We matched confidential administrative data from California Employment Development Department (EDD)/Unemployment Insurance (UI) system earnings records, the California Community College system, and the National Student Clearinghouse to all study participants for seven years after the random provision of computers.

Sealing the border redux: American universities are losing international students

Brookings

One year ago, I wrote on these pages: “If new border controls prevent the entry of foreign students, or simply makes them feel unwelcome so they go elsewhere, American jobs and American students pay the price.” I regret to report that we have now started down that path.

Opinion: On campus, all speech matters

Fresno Bee

My students are almost universal in their opinion that “hate speech” should be banned from our campus. They argue that hate speech is hurtful and potentially provocative and could serve to incite violence causing significant damage. The problem with hate speech is that it causes some of us to become uncomfortable.

Apprenticeships:

Latino Life: New CTEC High accepting applications

ABC30

Imagine earning a high school diploma and college degree before you are 18 years old. The idea will soon be a reality in Fresno County. The Fresno County Office of Education is opening a new charter high school in the fall. It’s called Career Technical Education Charter High School or CTEC High. The free, public charter high school is under construction and will include a state-of-the-art $6-million shop.

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

Invasive 20-pound rodents increasingly burrowing into California

SFGate

A giant invasive rodent with the ability to destroy roads, levees and wetlands has been discovered in Stanislaus County. Weighing in at 20 pounds and measuring 2 feet, 6 inches long, plus a 12-inch tail, the nutria live in or near water. They’re also incredibly destructive.

See Also:

How Manteca Schools Solved A Gopher Problem Without Pesticides

Capital Public Radio News

Manteca Unified School District has 32 campuses covering 700 acres. Under many of those acres are gophers, and with gophers come the holes and mounds from football fields to playgrounds. John Lopez, supervisor of landscape services for the district, said those holes proved to be dangerous.

In Defense of Biodiversity: Why Protecting Species from Extinction Matters

Yale E360

A number of biologists have recently made the argument that extinction is part of evolution and that saving species need not be a conservation priority. But this revisionist thinking shows a lack of understanding of evolution and an ignorance of the natural world.

Walters: Politicians can’t have it both ways on climate change

Fresno Bee

Suing oil companies for causing climate change has become a popular exercise in California’s coastal communities. Officials in five cities and three counties have filed suits, alleging that the companies knowingly emitted greenhouse gases that will damage those communities as oceans rise, and should pay for it.

Ag leader critical, air officials cautious, about UC study on valley air pollution

The Bakersfield Californian

Roger Isom was not in a mood to be polite. When the president and CEO of the Fresno-based Western Agricultural Processors Association read about a UC Davis study published last week that attributed a huge chunk of the air pollution in the San Joaquin Valley to emissions from fertilized farm fields, Isom was, at best, perplexed, and at worst, fighting mad. And now he’s pushing back.

Energy:

Cap-and-trade brings in money, despite Republican backlash

Visalia Times-Delta

California Assemblyman Devon Mathis (R-Visalia) reported last week that farm and agriculture-related businesses in his district have received more than $54 million in cap-and-trade funding.

Possibility of $4-a-gallon gasoline by Memorial Day in California

The Sacramento Bee

Remember $4-a-gallon gasoline? It could be coming to a gas station near you, perhaps as soon as Memorial Day weekend. At the close of January, national gas price tracker GasBuddy.com said average gasoline prices across most of California were at their highest levels in more than 850 days.

What past experience tells us about the impact of new American solar tariffs

Brookings

On January 22, President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on solar panels in what he called an effort to “create jobs in America for Americans.” The move prompted widespread criticism from both solar and free trade advocates. While the president argued that solar companies would “com[e] back strong” with the addition of “a lot of jobs,” the Solar Energy Industry Association, which represents the full spectrum of the U.S. solar industry, immediately expressed their objections.

There’s a Global Race to Control Batteries—and China Is Winning

WSJ

KOLWEZI, Democratic Republic of Congo—Miners push bicycles piled high with bags of a grayish-blue ore along a dusty road to a makeshift market. There, they line up at wholesalers with nicknames such as Crazy Jack and Boss Lee. Most of the buyers are Chinese. Those buyers then sell to Chinese companies that ship the bags, filled with cobalt, to China for processing into rechargeable, lithium-ion batteries that power laptops and smartphones and electric cars.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Bakersfield legislators ask state for $3 million in fight against valley fever

Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield lawmakers this week requested $3 million in the state budget to research treatments and conduct outreach for valley fever, an insidious respiratory disease endemic to Kern County that infected more people last year in California than in the state’s history.

State launches Aetna probe after stunning admission

CNN

California’s insurance commissioner has launched an investigation into Aetna after learning a former medical director for the insurer admitted under oath he never looked at patients’ records when deciding whether to approve or deny care.

Physician shortage: New program trains nurse practitioners to meet the need in Stanislaus, Merced counties

Modesto Bee

Blake Hufford says the experience of working in the emergency department at Doctors Medical Center opened his eyes to the need for primary care in the Central Valley. Many patients came to the ER with medical needs – a sore throat or a chronic disease – because they were not able to get an appointment with a primary care doctor.

State earns first royalty check after investing billions in stem cell research

San Francisco Chronicle

California, which has poured billions of public dollars into studying stem cells over the past decade, recently received its first royalty check for the investment — a development that will feed into a debate over whether to spend more taxpayer funds on such research in the coming years.

Human Services:

Law must change so the mentally ill don’t die on the streets, untreated

Modesto Bee

Nick Petris had the best of intentions a half century ago when he applied his talent and clout to the law that to this day governs how California cares for – and too often fails – its mentally ill. Petris represented Oakland and Berkeley for 40 years, ending in 1996. He set out to end the “tyrannical and oppressive system of incarcerating people so easily” in the state hospital system, which, at its height, warehoused 36,853 people.

As opioid epidemic rages, California database still not ready

The Sacramento Bee

As the opioid crisis rages across the country and in rural California, the California Department of Justice has not yet certified a database designed to prevent doctors from overprescribing the drugs, angering consumer and law enforcement groups that say it hurts efforts to prevent opioid abuse. The current timeline means doctors will not have to check the database until at least January 2019.

IMMIGRATION

Last of iconic illegal immigration crossing signs has vanished in California

Los Angeles Times

While politicians are embroiled in a polarized national debate over immigration, an iconic road sign cautioning drivers near the San Diego border to watch for migrants running across the freeway has quietly disappeared.

See also:

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Revitalization or not, this Fulton Street restaurant is probably closing

Fresno Bee

A downtown restaurant survived 19 months of construction turning Fulton Mall into Fulton Street, but it still may close soon. The owner of the 8-year-old Parsley Garden Cafe says that business is slow – slower than when Fulton was open only to people on foot. He’s waiting until the end of the month to decide for sure if the cafe will close.

Housing:

Opinion: Easing building rules near transit key for housing

Mercury News

California’s chronic and well-documented housing crisis has been generations in the making and will not be fixed overnight. But the days of legislative inaction or half measures may be nearing their deserved end. Last year, state lawmakers finally prioritized housing, sending a package of 15 bills to Gov. Jerry Brown to increase the affordability and supply of new housing.

State lawmakers want to restore an urban renewal and affordable housing program. But it’s complicated

Los Angeles Times

Seven years ago, at the depth of the state’s budget crisis, Gov. Jerry Browneliminated an urban renewal program that provided billions of dollars annually for economic development and low-income housing. Ever since, lawmakers have tried and failed to bring it back.

How can LA build dense new housing without displacing working families? With a ‘Right to Remain’

Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles is in the grip of a housing crisis. Rents have been skyrocketing for years, and the diversity and vibrancy that make our city great are in danger of being snuffed out as low-income Angelenos are displaced and evicted.

PUBLIC FINANCES

California families are missing out on tax credit

Sacramento Bee

Tax season is in full swing across California, as millions collect documents, download software and hassle their accountants. But for millions of Californians, tax time provides a vital financial lifeline thanks to one of the most successful, but underused, anti-poverty programs – the federal Earned Income Tax Credit.

California pensions facing hit as charter schools consider leaving

Sacramento Bee

One of the state’s largest charter school organizations is exploring whether it wants to withdraw from CalPERS, raising alarms among unions and public pension officials who fear a gradual weakening of the fund.

See also:

When do CalPERS rates become ‘unsustainable’?

Calpensions

The use of the word “unsustainable” had a distant echo this month as the League of California Cities issued a study of CalPERS rates, a move to get stronger local options for controlling rising pension costs. Over the next seven years, the study found, city CalPERS costs will increase more than 50 percent. The annual pension bite for the average city will reach 15.8 percent of the general fund, nearly doubling from 8.3 percent a decade ago.

See also:

Podcast: The GOP’s Fiscally Toxic Combo

Roll Call

Bob Bixby, executive director of The Concord Coalition, a nonpartisan group that encourages fiscal responsibility in Washington, explains how the adoption of the deficit-busting budget deal could affect the overall economy and why cutting entitlements may pose a problem for the GOP.

Trying to Make Sense of CA Tax Strategy

Fox and Hounds Daily

In reaction to federal tax changes, the state of California’s message seems to be that the feds shouldn’t gain tax revenue from the well-off and businesses—that’s the state’s job.

TRANSPORTATION

ACE train to begin offering Saturday service

Stockton Record

The Altamont Corridor Express, relied upon regularly by commuters for its Monday-Friday service, has announced the receipt of grant funding that will allow its ACE trains to add Saturday service from Stockton to San Jose.

Amtrak bears the cost of accidents even if not at fault

San Francisco Chronicle

Federal investigators are still looking at how CSX railway crews routed an Amtrak train into a parked freight train in Cayce, South Carolina, last weekend. But even if CSX should bear sole responsibility for the accident, Amtrak will likely end up paying crash victims’ legal claims with public money.

See also:

Fitzgerald: Greyhound’s doghouse is coming down

Stockton Record

Greyhound has decided to demolish its downtown bus depot, the once-teeming terminal where Stocktonians “rode the dog” on intercity buses since 1968. “The need for large terminals has passed,” Paul D. Egger, the regional president of Greyhound Lines, Inc., wrote to the city.

A Driverless Future Threatens the Laws of Real Estate

Bloomberg

The link between property and transport has been perhaps the most durable in human history. Since the ancients, few things have delivered higher land values with more certainty than advances in transport, from roads to canals, railways to highways. It’s still “a no-brainer” in the 21st century, says Bridget Buxton. She bought a fixer-upper with her husband in a scruffy part of east London in 2016 because it’s a short walk to the high-speed crosstown rail line due to open this year. Prices are up 90 percent in the past five years for homes like hers, far outpacing the whole city.

WATER

Gubernatorial candidate positions on Governor Brown’s California WaterFix (“twin tunnels) project:

Is California Entering Another Drought? Experts Answer Your Questions.

capradio.org

The lack of rain and snow in California has people wondering if we’re headed into another drought. There’s less than 25 percent of the average amount of snow in the Sierra Nevada. That on its own could incite drought panic. Lauren Bisnett with the California Department of Water Resources says the saving grace is last year’s storms, which filled up state reservoirs. For example, Bisnett says, “Shasta Reservoir is at 74 percent of capacity

See also:

Skelton: Californians voted to spend billions on more water storage. But state government keeps sitting on the cash

Los Angeles Times

We could be headed into another drought. There’s little Sierra snow and valleys are dry. Is California ready this time? Not really.

“Xtra”

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EDITORIALS

 

#FresnoProud Jag ad is Super. PG&E scammers, we ain’t playin’

Fresno Bee

Thumbs up to Haron Jaguar for its Super Bowl commercial promoting the region and the construction of its new building for the downtown dealersship. Hitting the #FresnoProud, the ad shows off the city’s best assets, the revitalization of downtown, three national parks within a short drive and the region’s rich agricultural history.

Modesto moving up on money list

Modesto Bee

When you see Modesto on a list of “Best Performing Cities,” most people would immediately think of George Lucas or Jeremy Renner or the latest lineup at the Gallo Center. But we’re not talking about acting; we’re talking about economicperformance. Modesto? On the good side of a money list?

#MeToo Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia demanded male gropers step down. #HerToo

Sacramento Bee

Daniel Fierro understands he is not the familiar face of the #MeToo or #WeSaidEnough movements. Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, D-Bell Gardens, was.Garcia, co-chair of the legislative women’s caucus, was on the cover of Time magazine a few months ago with other Silence Breakers, speaking truth about men who abused their power by harassing women.

California needs a workable delta tunnel plan

Los Angeles Times

Like a patient waiting for heart bypass surgery while the insurance company dickers with the hospital over the numbers, California has been stuck in pre-op for decades, awaiting approval of an aqueduct or tunnel bypass from the Sacramento River around (instead of through) the state’s hydrological heart — the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta..

California cities must do more to meet housing responsibilities.

San Francisco Chronicle

Thanks to SB35, state Sen. Scott Wiener’s important new housing streamlining legislation, we now know how many California cities and counties are behind on their housing development goals: nearly every single one of them.

Editorial: The case against the recall of Judge Persky

San Francisco Chronicle

Judge Aaron Persky made a profoundly unpopular decision in June 2016 when he sentenced a Stanford swimmer convicted of sexual assault to six months in jail. Count us among the millions who were deeply disappointed, even outraged, upon learning of the punishment — especially after reading the victim’s eloquent 7,000-word statement that went viral on the Internet.

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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.

The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.

                                                     

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