IN THIS ISSUE:
Top Policy/Political Stories
- Local/Regional
- State
- Federal
- Agriculture/Food
- Criminal Justice/Public Safety
- Economy/ Jobs
- Education
- Environment/Energy
- Health/Human Services
- Immigration
- Land Use/Housing
- Public Finances
- Transportation
- Water
- “Xtra“
- Editorials
TOP POLITICAL STORIES
Local/Regional Politics:
Deadline Fast Approaching – Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship – Applications for two $56,000 Fellowships Due Friday, March 16th, 2018 The Maddy Institute Through the generosity of The Wonderful Company, San Joaquin Valley students will have the opportunity to become the next generation of Valley leaders through The Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship. This program helps students obtain an advanced degree from a top graduate program, return home, and apply what they have learned to help make the Valley a better place.
Central Unified’s superintendent terminated without cause Fresno Bee Central Unified board members voted 4-3 to terminate superintendent Mark Sutton’s contract with the district, effective immediately, during a tense meeting Tuesday night at Central High School’s east campus. Board president Cesar Granda announced the decision after the closed session that Sutton was terminated without cause. Granda, Ruben Coronado, Richard Solis and Rama Dawar voted yes, and Phillip Cervantes, Richard Atkins and Terry Cox voted no. Sutton is set to go on paid administrative leave until March 11, when he will no longer be superintendent, Granda said. See also: · Supporters rally around ousted Central USD superintendent ABC30
School Shooting Threats: · Gustine High threat was shared 100,000 times Modesto Bee · Buchanan student arrested for school shooting threat Clovis Roundup · School shooting forum will give Exeter parents a voice Visalia Times-Delta
COS names college president finalists, hosts forum Visalia Times-Delta College of the Sequoias is close to naming its next superintendent/president and school officials are inviting faculty, students and community members to meet the four finalists. The community college will host an open forum, giving each candidate 45 minutes to speak. Candidates will give an opening statement, answer four questions previously submitted by COS faculty, students, staff or community members.
District seeks member for Environmental Justice Advisory Group San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District is dedicated to the integration of environmental justice principles and goals into its public health and air quality programs, policies and activities. As part of this strategy, the District is currently taking applications to fill an open seat on its Environmental Justice Advisory Group (EJAG) for a Kings County At-large representative.
Direct from Alaska: Here comes the season’s biggest snow storm The National Weather Service office in Hanford says moderate to heavy rainfall is about to blow through “widespread” areas of the San Joaquin Valley and southern Sierra Foothills Thursday and Friday, and it’s bringing some snow with it.
New state law promotes dam safety, just not here in Tulare County Visalia Times-Delta Dams and reservoirs under the jurisdiction of the California Department of Water Resources will be inspected more regularly thanks to a new law Gov. Jerry Brown signed this week. What does this mean for Tulare County’s reservoirs and aging dams, Kaweah and Success?
Freeze damage to Kern crops apparent, but extent not yet known Bakersfield Californian Kern County Farm Adviser Mohammad Yaghmour stood in a seven-acre orchard teeming with almond blossoms just north of this farming community.He pulled a cluster of young, newly developing nutlets from a flower-covered branch and carefully sliced into it with his pocket knife. “This looks fine — green,” he said
Immigrants scramble to apply for citizenship as ICE cracks down in Central California ABC30 Advocates say many people recently detained have been too scared or too shocked to exercise their rights. Attorneys say it’s important families do not answer any questions agents ask. The men and women filling out paperwork at this immigration workshop come from different backgrounds. Some are undocumented, others longtime residents, but they’re all here for the same purpose. See also: · Immigrant advocates rally after ICE arrests in Atwater Modesto Bee
Smittcamp family gifts $10 million to Community Medical Centers Clovis Roundup The Robert “Bob” Smittcamp family of Fresno made a $10 million donation Tuesday toward the advancement of neurosciences at Community Medical Centers, including the Clovis branch. Combined with a 2016 gift, the Smittcamp family contributions to the hospital system total more than $11 million. The earlier gift helped expand Community’s neuroscience program, remodel the neuroscience intensive care unit at Community Regional Medical Center, and provide specialized stroke training to the nursing staff.
Temporary homeless shelter gains support, but many questions remain Modesto Bee The Modesto City Council on Tuesday night resoundingly supported a proposal to open a temporary shelter and day center near downtown, which would offer new services for the homeless and could be operating as soon as June.
Top surfers to compete in May just south of … Fresno? Los Angeles Times In May, the greatest professional surfers from Australia to Brazil will come to battle it out in some of the most pristine waves in California — in the dusty croplands of Kings County. The World Surf League announced this week it plans to hold one of its contests at Kelly Slater’s artificial wave pool in Lemoore.
Fresno County’s civil grand jury could be an adventure for you Fresno Bee With all the drama surrounding our government these days more and more people are hearing about Washington’s “grand jury.” Politics aside, Fresno County has its own that serves as a critical element in the oversight of local tax dollars and governmental agencies.
State Politics:
Armenian Genocide dispute brings California Legislature into global policymakingFresno Bee While the California Legislature can only set policy for the state’s nearly 40 million residents, its ambitions are often much grander. With, we are often reminded, one of the largest economies in the world to dangle and deploy for influence, lawmakers regularly wade into issues on the global stage, thousands of miles from California’s borders.
California Today: Democrats Fault Governor on Homelessness Crisis The New York Times Gov. Jerry Brown is entering his final year in public life riding high in opinion polls and generally praised by government officials. But as the spotlight shifts to a new generation, there has been an increasing focus on the blight of poverty and homelessness under Mr. Brown’s watch — by his fellow Democrats. See also: · Initiative to repeal California’s rent control restrictions hits milestone The Mercury News · Garcetti says major state housing bill doesn’t protect single-family neighborhoods Los Angeles Times
The Bakersfield Californian Democratic candidate for governor Delaine Eastin came through Bakersfield on Wednesday with a message of grassroots activism and growing opportunity for children, college students and seniors.
GOP candidate’s measure to expand Legislature fails to make November ballot San Francisco Chronicle A proposed initiative that would have expanded the state Legislature to 12,000 members fell just short of qualifying for the November ballot, but John Cox, the Republican candidate for governor who spent more than $2 million of his own money on the effort, is ready to keep fighting.
Amanda Renteria Wants To “Lean In” With Last Minute California Gubernatorial Bid Valley Public Radio Residents in the San Joaquin Valley already know the name Amanda Renteria. Now the rest of the state is about to get acquainted with the Woodlake native and former national political director for the Hillary Clinton campaign in 2016. Last week she formally launched her campaign for California governor in a move that puzzled many political observers. After all the June primary is just a few months away, and Renteria needs to build an organization, raise funds, and most importantly get name recognition statewide in a very short timeframe. Renteria recently joined us on Valley Public Radio to address the issue of the timing of her run, and her views on issues like water and high-speed rail.
Strange Bedfellow Politics of 2018 Fox and Hounds Daily Could you imagine anyone in their right (as opposed to left) political mind making the following statement even a year ago: Dianne Feinstein and Antonio Villaraigosa will be the Republican favorites for U.S. Senate and Governor in 2018? Hard to believe, even still! We are not there yet but consider…
The Interests of Newsom Diverge From the Interests of Anti-Trumpers Fox and Hounds Daily Top two creates perverse incentives. Consider the case of Gavin Newsom and Donald Trump. Newsom is a fierce opponent of Trump’s policies and personality. He’s criticized the president repeatedly and forcefully. And yet, the best outcome for Newsom in the June gubernatorial election would also be good for Trump.
Californians bash Trump for bid to end climate change plan Hanford Sentinel California officials, schoolchildren and at least one billionaire denounced the Trump administration’s plan to scrap Obama-era limits on emissions from power plants in blistering comments Wednesday to U.S. officials visiting a state that’s helping lead the fight against climate change. See also: · California opposes Trump climate change effort Washington Post
Suit accuses state officials of illegal tunnels project meetings Fresno Bee Sacramento County is leading a lawsuit accusing state officials of holding illegal secret meetings about the controversial Delta tunnels project.
California tax board rejects 4-cent increase in gas taxes The Sacramento Bee Gov. Jerry Brown’s office has to find another $617 million for his next budget because a tax-collecting agency he gutted last year has used some of its waning authority to reject a 4-cent increase in fuel taxes. Normally, the Board of Equalization’s annual requirement to set fuel tax rates is almost automatic. It has tweaked recommendations, but it has not rejected them.
Spend gas tax money ASAP, new Caltrans leader says of directive from Gov. Jerry Brown The Sacramento Bee Caltrans’ new director takes her seat this week with immediate marching orders: Spend money, and spend it fast. Gov. Jerry Brown has asked new Caltrans head Laurie Berman and new Transportation Secretary Brian Annis to turn the state’s gas tax hike into quick and visible highway improvements.
Los Angeles Times The California Republican Party has donated $200,000 to an initiative drive aimed at repealing recent increases to the state gas tax and vehicle fees while the campaign is still struggling to collect enough signatures to qualify a measure for the November ballot.
As California oil regulator seeks more money, legislators ask “Is this working?” CALmatters Early in 2011, Bill Allayaud was so fed up with what he saw as dereliction of duty by California’s oil and gas regulator that he began to catalog grievances: unregulated fracking, allowing companies to inject oilfield wastewater into clean water aquifers, little or no oversight into critical practices affecting public health and safety. “They were essentially lap dogs for the oil industry,” Allayaud, a lobbyist with the Environmental Working Group said. See also: · First Came Fire, Next Water: California City Again Sues Chevron, Its Largest Employer And Taxpayer Forbes
California Democrats Hope To Trim ‘Windfall” Federal Tax Cut For Businesses Forbes What Washington giveth, some in Sacramento hope to take away. Appalled by federal tax cuts for businesses, passed by Republicans alone last year, two Democratic members of the California State Assembly have proposed an amendment to the state constitution that would impose a “windfall” tax surcharge on corporations that earn more than $1 million. The money would go into a new “Middle Class Fiscal Relief Fund” that would pay for tax relief and other projects to benefit low- and moderate-income communities.
Coastal Commission’s preposterous antics go to court, and taxpayers foot the bill Los Angeles Times It was almost like old times. Everywhere I looked Tuesday in a downtown San Diego courthouse, I saw a former California Coastal commissioner whose conduct is under scrutiny. Former Commissioners Wendy Mitchell, Martha McClure and Steve Kinsey were all there, with current Commissioners Erik Howell and Mark Vargas expected to join the party soon.
California bill raises age limit to buy guns The Sacramento Bee A state senator is pushing a bill to raise the minimum age to legally purchase rifles and shotguns in California to 21. Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge, amended Senate Bill 1100 on Wednesday to prohibit someone from purchasing more than one gun in 30 days and to increase the age limit to buy all firearms to 21.
New Laws Part I: 2018 Brings Campaign, Election and Records Reforms PublicCEO From bumping up the statewide primary election date to protecting the personal information of public employees and making campaign contributions more transparent, state lawmakers passed a wave of laws regarding campaigns, elections and public records in 2017 that will impact public agencies.
Federal Politics:
Trump calls for ‘comprehensive’ gun control bill; says gun culture needs to changeFresno Bee President Donald Trump called for lawmakers to craft a “comprehensive” gun control bill, saying that both Democrats and Republicans can find common ground. The Republican president discussed school safety Wednesday with a bipartisan group of lawmakers at the White House. See also: · Trump open to Feinstein assault weapon restrictions The Sacramento Bee · Donald Trump says he’s open to Dianne Feinstein’s assault weapons age limit – or even a ban Sacramento Bee · Feinstein shakes with glee after Trump suggests adding assault weapons ban to background check bill Los Angeles Times · WalMart joins Dick’s in limiting gun sales; Trump stuns by embracing gun law changes. Is the tide turning on gun control?Hanford Sentinel· Trump Stuns Lawmakers With Seeming Embrace of Gun ControlNew York Times · Republicans Gobsmacked by Trump’s Gun Control Comments The Weekly Standard · President Donald Trump to sign bump stock ban executive orderThe Fresno Bee · Opinion: Congress Likely to Ignore Parkland Teens’ Case for Action on Gun Violence Roll Call
Trump threatens to delay border work in California, baffling many Los Angeles Times President Trump on Wednesday threatened to delay building border barriers in California until his long-promised wall goes up elsewhere, seemingly slinging another arrow in his running battle with the nation’s most populous state. “Sections of the Wall that California wants built NOW will not be built until the whole Wall is approved,” Trump declared in a morning message on Twitter.
US Agriculture Secretary seeks to calm farmers after Trump biofuel talks Reuters U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told an agriculture conference on Wednesday that he and President Donald Trump support the country’s biofuels policy, and that any reports to the contrary are “fake news.”
Walters: Democrats’ fault lines, including Latino splits Calmatters If one looked beyond the heated rhetoric from the podium, most of it directed at President Trump, last weekend’s Democratic state convention revealed a party with many internal fault lines.
California has the worst quality of life, study says The Mercury News California dreamin’? Flying in the face of traditional wisdom that we live on the best coast comes a stinging new U.S. News & World Report study that says we have the worst quality of life in the nation. The coveted Best States ranking is part of an annual study that scores all 50 states on eight categories — health care, education, economy, opportunity, infrastructure, crime and corrections, fiscal stability and the most important of all for most of us, quality of life.
Other:
The NRA shouldn’t twist the true meaning of the 2nd Amendment News & Observer Just as I was preparing to write this piece – for perhaps the dozenth time over the years – a News and Observer letter writer took the words out of my mouth, some of them at least. Michael Graybeal belonged to the historic “Old Hickory” division when, armed with a loaded weapon, he marched through Wilmington in 1968 in a peacemaking display following the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He writes: “Since [his discharge] I was no longer a member of the well-regulated militia, I did not consider it my right under the Second Amendment to bear a weapon. I still don’t.” See also: · Walmart sets age of 21 to buy firearms, ammunition The Fresno Bee · Dick’s Sporting Goods & Assault Weapons: Customers Threaten Boycott National Review · Dick’s Sporting Goods will stop selling assault-style rifles CNN · School Shootings Stats Don’t Show They’re Becoming More Common National Review · Skelton: It’s a bad idea to raise the minimum age for buying long guns. It’s an even worse idea to arm teachers Los Angeles Times
There are ways to make schools safer and teachers stronger—but they don’t involve guns Brookings Last week, in the wake of the Parkland, Fla., shooting, President Trump called for arming teachers with guns to deter potential perpetrators of future mass shootings in schools. With a tweetlast Thursday and a speech last Friday at the Conservative Political Action Conference, he endorsed the idea of getting the most gun-adept teachers trained to carry in the classroom—he estimated 10-20 percent of the teaching population falls into this category. Over the weekend, he added language in a tweet saying a yearly bonus should go to armed teachers.
Polling Places Are Supposed To Be Politics-Free. Could That Change? NPR Every state has a law creating campaign-free buffer zones outside of polling places — laws the Supreme Court has long upheld. On Wednesday, the justices tackled similar and even stricter laws that bar “political” apparel inside polling places. The court did not indicate which way it was leaning in questioning Wednesday. Lawyers on both sides of the arguments were pressed hard.
Topics in More Detail…
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Freeze damage to Kern crops apparent, but extent not yet known Bakersfield Californian Kern County Farm Adviser Mohammad Yaghmour stood in a seven-acre orchard teeming with almond blossoms just north of this farming community.He pulled a cluster of young, newly developing nutlets from a flower-covered branch and carefully sliced into it with his pocket knife. “This looks fine — green,” he said
Bees are farmers’ best friends, and vice versa Modesto Bee It’s the third week of January and driving down Highway 99 at night you can see the trucks making their way through the Valley. I’ve been watching them come in for weeks, feeling that little tingle of excitement when I see the white boxes.
A rural county legalized marijuana farms. It took their tax money – then voted to ban them Los Angeles Times Dennis Mills peered over his shoulder at the green hills below, where marijuana farms dotted the Calaveras County landscape. “There’s another one!” he told the pilot with a laugh. The Cessna doubled back so Mills, a county supervisor, could steal a second look at a slope where trees had recently been removed.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
For stories on ”gun control,” See: “Top Stories – Local, State, Federal and Other Politics,” above
Crime:
California Supreme Court Rules State Must Stop Sending So Many Children to Prison for 50 Years Mother Jones The California Supreme Court ruled on Monday that it’s unconstitutional to send juvenile offenders to prison for 50 or more years after certain nonhomicide offenses, arguing that such a sentence would be functionally the same as life-without-parole.
Bail Reform Is on the Agenda – Both in the Legislature and at Policy Insights 2018 California Budget & Policy Center Last year, we blogged about efforts in the Legislature to transform California’s outdated, show-me-the-money bail system. The current pretrial system emphasizes wealth over risk by allowing defendants with access to sufficient cash and property to bail out of jail, regardless of the threat they may pose to victims or to the public at large. Meanwhile, people who can’t scrape together the resources needed to purchase a bail bond — or who don’t want to take on an excessive amount of bail bond debt — are forced to languish in jail until their case is resolved.
Public Safety:
California areas advised to evacuate ahead of potential mudslides Reuters Thousands of residents in a Southern California county where 21 people died from mudslides in January were advised on Wednesday to leave their homes, ahead of a rainstorm that officials said could again trigger a cascade of mud and rocks. See also: · Evacuation warning issued for mudslide area Merced Sun-Star · Incoming Storm Could Threaten Southern California Burn Areas KQED
California hasn’t raised age limit for buying rifles. That may change San Francisco Chronicle Even though California has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, an 18-year-old can still buy an AR-15 rifle as long as it lacks a detachable magazine and other features that define it under state law as an assault weapon.
Fire:
Why Is California Rebuilding in Fire Country? Because You’re Paying for It Bloomberg Businessweek After last year’s calamity, officials are making the same decisions that put homeowners at risk in the first place.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Disneyland’s workers are undervalued, disrespected and underpaid Los Angeles Times Disneyland is famously promoted as the “happiest place on earth.” But for many of the theme park’s 30,000 employees, it isn’t the happiest place to work. That’s whatwe discovered after spending a year talking with Disneyland workers and conducting a survey of about 5,000 “cast members,” as the company refers to its employees. Since 2000, Disneyland’s attendance (more than 27 million in 2016), daily ticket prices ($117 most days of the year for anyone over the age of 10) and revenues (more than $3 billion) have increased, but during that period, its employees’ pay has dropped 15% in real dollars. See also: · Some Disneyland employees struggle to pay for food, shelter, survey finds · 89.3 KPCC
Enforcing minimum wage is harder than you think Marketplace Raising the minimum wage is a perennial issue in the business and economic news cycle. But according to a new investigation from Politico, we might do well to focus on enforcing existing wage laws first and make sure workers are paid what they’re owed. When they’re not, it’s wage theft. Marketplace’s Kai Ryssdal spoke with Marianne Levine, who wrote the story. The following is an edited transcript of their conversation.
EDUCATION
For stories about ”guns in schools,” See: “Top Stories – Local, State, Federal and Other Politics,” above
K-12:
Central Unified’s superintendent terminated without cause Fresno Bee Central Unified board members voted 4-3 to terminate superintendent Mark Sutton’s contract with the district, effective immediately, during a tense meeting Tuesday night at Central High School’s east campus. Board president Cesar Granda announced the decision after the closed session that Sutton was terminated without cause. Granda, Ruben Coronado, Richard Solis and Rama Dawar voted yes, and Phillip Cervantes, Richard Atkins and Terry Cox voted no. Sutton is set to go on paid administrative leave until March 11, when he will no longer be superintendent, Granda said. See also: · Supporters rally around ousted Central USD superintendent ABC30
Deadline nears for teacher lay-offs Sierra Star The Yosemite Unified School District board of trustees is facing a March 15 deadline to issue layoff notices to district teachers, and with that date rapidly approaching, the board has not yet taken formal action on the layoffs necessary to balance the district’s budget.
Should all CA high school students be required to take an ethnic studies class? 89.3 KPCC California law mandates that high school students take courses such as U.S. History, economics and American government in order to graduate, but Assemblymember Jose Medina (D-Riverside) wants to add one more requirement to the list: ethnic studies. Forecast for California school climates remains cloudy without good data, advocates say EdSoyrce Not nearly enough is being done to assess how, or if, efforts to improve school environments are actually working, say a chorus of researchers, youth advocates and state officials.
Higher Ed:
UC system’s global rankings slip amid funding cuts, international competition Los Angeles Times The University of California has slipped in the rankings of an annual global survey of higher education, escalating concerns that funding woes and growing international competition are beginning to erode the quality of the nation’s top public research university. The survey released Wednesday by QS Quacquarelli Symonds, assessed nine UC campuses in more than three dozen subjects. Ratings dropped in 80 categories and improved in 24.
California ‘College for All Act’ doesn’t solve root problems behind costs OCRegister Bernie Sanders may or may not have defeated Donald Trump if he received the Democratic Party’s nomination, but even here in California, his campaign against Hillary Clinton has inspired lasting political activity. The latest effort is a campaign to gain enough signatures to put making college tuition free for all on the ballot.
Reforming English Pathways at California’s Community Colleges Public Policy Institute of California California’s community colleges are in the midst of numerous reforms to improve developmental (also known as remedial or basic skills) education. Developmental education is supposed to help prepare students for college work, but it has long been an obstacle to student success: most students in developmental courses never go on to complete a college-level course in English or math.
A risk-sharing proposal to hold higher ed institutions accountable to their students Brookings A growing share of students and parents are taking out increasingly large loans to earn higher education degrees that do not pay off the down the road. With student debt now reaching $1.4 trillion, many are rightly worried about what will happen if it cannot be repaid.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
California cities suing oil firms over climate change lose key ruling San Francisco Chronicle California communities that are suing oil and gas companies over climate change were dealt a setback when a federal judge denied requests by San Francisco and Oakland to move their cases to state court.
Energy:
California carbon auction raises $725 million Fresno Bee California raised more than $725 million from selling permits to release greenhouse gases in the latest quarterly auction. Auction results released Wednesday show all available permits were sold for the third straight auction since lawmakers extended California’s cap-and-trade program through 2030. The program requires polluters to obtain permits for each ton of carbon they release.
At EPA hearing, support for Clean Power Plan KQED A steady march of politicians, physicians and scientists came to San Francisco from across California on Wednesday to testify against a federal plan to repeal the nation’s signature law regulating carbon dioxide emissions.
As California oil regulator seeks more money, legislators ask “Is this working?” Calmatters Early in 2011, Bill Allayaud was so fed up with what he saw as dereliction of duty by California’s oil and gas regulator that he began to catalog grievances: unregulated fracking, allowing companies to inject oilfield wastewater into clean water aquifers, little or no oversight into critical practices affecting public health and safety.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Valley Public Radio Reporter Wins Award From Health Journalism Association Valley Public Radio The Association of Health Care Journalists has awarded Valley Public Radio’s Kerry Klein first place honors in the group’s annual awards competition for her reporting series Struggling For Care. The four-part radio project tells stories about the shortage of physicians in the San Joaquin Valley. The award comes in the category Health Policy Reporting (small outlets). Other 2018 award winners include The New York Times, The Washington Post and ProPublica.
What’s behind this year’s frightening flu season? San Francisco Chronicle The 2017-18 season has been among the worst in more than a decade — about as bad as the 2009 season, when the new swine flu strain was spreading madly worldwide. See also: · At Some California Hospitals, Fewer Than Half Of Workers Get The Flu Shot Washington Post Stem cell researcher enters political fray Capitol Weekly A relatively obscure stem cell scientist last week one-upped — sort of — one of the more powerful lawmakers in the United States Senate. It was not a direct, head-to-head contest — just sort of a rough comparison involving Democratic politics in California.
People with pre-existing conditions could face tough times ahead CNN President Donald Trump and his administration are taking steps to lower premiums, increase choice and foster competition in the health insurance market. All of that sounds good — until one realizes that the changes are coming largely at the expense of millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions.
A Big Divergence Is Coming in Health Care Among States The New York Times Little by little, the Trump administration is dismantling elements of the Affordable Care Act and creating a health care system that looks more like the one that preceded it. But some states don’t want to go back and are working to build it back up. Congress and the Trump administration have reduced Obamacare outreach, weakened benefit requirements, repealed the unpopular individual insurance mandate and broadened opportunities for insurers to offer inexpensive but skimpy plans to more customers.
Human Services:
Rewards Program Encourages SNAP Recipients to Make Healthy Choices Pew Charitable Trusts | Stateline Cities and states are trying new ways to entice food stamp recipients to eat their fruits and vegetables. One approach that’s gaining popularity: offering rebates to low-income families when they buy fresh produce. A program in Massachusetts was so popular that it ran out of rebate money and had to be suspended. By rewarding food stamp recipients for making healthy choices, advocates hope to encourage low-income people to eat more fruits and vegetables.
IMMIGRATION
Immigrants scramble to apply for citizenship as ICE cracks down in Central California ABC30 Advocates say many people recently detained have been too scared or too shocked to exercise their rights. Attorneys say it’s important families do not answer any questions agents ask. The men and women filling out paperwork at this immigration workshop come from different backgrounds. Some are undocumented, others longtime residents, but they’re all here for the same purpose.
Trump threatens to delay border work in California, baffling many Los Angeles Times President Trump on Wednesday threatened to delay building border barriers in California until his long-promised wall goes up elsewhere, seemingly slinging another arrow in his running battle with the nation’s most populous state. “Sections of the Wall that California wants built NOW will not be built until the whole Wall is approved,” Trump declared in a morning message on Twitter.
LAND USE/HOUSING Land Use:
It Is Time For States To Start Making Local Housing And Land Use Policy Forbes A dynamic has emerged in housing policy that has local governments making more and more restrictive housing policies and state governments demanding more housing. For example, in California, Senate Bill 827 would require local governments to grant a density bonus around transit. There are some important reasons for state legislatures to act and there are some specific things that can do to improve housing production, increase supply, and make living in popular and job rich cities more affordable.
Housing:
Median rent for a two-bedroom apartment throughout California The Sacramento Bee California rent continues to rise rapidly, eating up wage increases from a growing economy, forcing thousands to endure long commutes and contributing to anincrease in homelessness. Median rent for a California two-bedroom condo or home rose from about $1,740 in December 2013 to about $2,300 in December 2017, a 32 percent jump, according to tracking firm Zillow.com. By comparison, median rent for a two-bedroom unit nationwide was about $1,290 in December 2017, up 14 percent from 2013. See also: · Initiative to repeal California’s rent control restrictions hits milestone The Mercury News
Temporary homeless shelter gains support, but many questions remain Modesto Bee The Modesto City Council on Tuesday night resoundingly supported a proposal to open a temporary shelter and day center near downtown, which would offer new services for the homeless and could be operating as soon as June.
$2 billion to help house California’s homeless isn’t being spent — and no one knows when it will be Los Angeles Times The dollars are tied up in court as a Sacramento attorney challenges the state’s plan to pay off that debt with money California voters approved in 2004 for mental health services. The funding, the attorney contends, should not be diverted from treatment programs, even if the mentally ill benefit from the housing.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Should you worry about the national debt? Marketplace Early this week, the Trump administration released a $4.4 trillion federal budget proposal. What’s caught several people’s eye is that the GOP is usually anti-deficit, but this proposal would add to the deficit and increase the national debt. Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s budget director, while defending the proposal in front of Congress, admitted that if he was still a representative from South Carolina, he would have opposed the budget.
TRANSPORTATION
Los Angeles Times The California Republican Party has donated $200,000 to an initiative drive aimed at repealing recent increases to the state gas tax and vehicle fees while the campaign is still struggling to collect enough signatures to qualify a measure for the November ballot.
Spend gas tax money ASAP, new Caltrans leader says of directive from Gov. Jerry Brown The Sacramento Bee Caltrans’ new director takes her seat this week with immediate marching orders: Spend money, and spend it fast. Gov. Jerry Brown has asked new Caltrans head Laurie Berman and new Transportation Secretary Brian Annis to turn the state’s gas tax hike into quick and visible highway improvements.
California tax board rejects 4-cent increase in gas taxes The Sacramento Bee Gov. Jerry Brown’s office has to find another $617 million for his next budget because a tax-collecting agency he gutted last year has used some of its waning authority to reject a 4-cent increase in fuel taxes. Normally, the Board of Equalization’s annual requirement to set fuel tax rates is almost automatic. It has tweaked recommendations, but it has not rejected them.
New bullet train business plan will show higher costs, CEO Brian Kelly says Los Angeles Times The California bullet train will take longer to build and cost more than previously estimated under a soon-to-be-released business plan, but plans to begin the project by linking the Bay Area to the Central Valley remain intact, according to the rail authority’s new chief executive, Brian Kelly.
Top-selling electric car in California is not a Tesla San Francisco Chronicle No company sells or leases as many electric cars in California as Tesla, a report released Wednesday found. But the most popular electric car in California does not come from the Palo Alto automaker . That honor belongs to Detroit stalwart General Motors instead.
California loosens rules for driverless cars, clearing the way for robot taxis Los Angeles Times The rules, first proposed last October, will also allow ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft to begin selling rides in driverless cars, removing expensive human drivers from the equation. Technically, that could happen this year, although no ride-hailing companies have yet announced such plans. (It’s unclear whether robot taxis would require approval by the California Utilities Commission in addition to the DMV.)
WATER
Suit accuses state officials of illegal tunnels project meetings Fresno Bee Sacramento County is leading a lawsuit accusing state officials of holding illegal secret meetings about the controversial Delta tunnels project. The county, joined by the city of Stockton, several Delta water agencies and a group of environmental organizations, sued the State Water Resources Control Board on Tuesday. The suit claims officials with the state water board met privately and illegally as far back as 2015 with representatives of the California Department of Water Resources and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the lead agencies planning the tunnels.
Direct from Alaska: Here comes the season’s biggest snow storm The National Weather Service office in Hanford says moderate to heavy rainfall is about to blow through “widespread” areas of the San Joaquin Valley and southern Sierra Foothills Thursday and Friday, and it’s bringing some snow with it. See also: · Stay put in the valley. Biggest storm of the season rolls into Northern California Sacramento Bee
Californians Are Struggling to Pay for Rising Water Rates KQED Water rates are rising in many California communities faster than some residents can keep up. While the state works to come up with a plan to tackle affordability issues, one bill seeks to protect against water shutoffs.
A Bottom-Up Approach to Groundwater Sustainability Public Policy Institute of California California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requires communities with ongoing groundwater deficits to bring their aquifers into balance in the coming years. This will be a difficult and complex process, but it’s also an opportunity to devise workable solutions at the community level. We talked to Eric Averett of theRosedale–Rio Bravo Water Storage District about groundwater management innovations being tried in his Kern County district and lessons learned that might have wider application.
“Xtra”
After the storm, Yosemite’s Half Dome peeks above the fog Sierra Star As Tuesday’s winter storm moved out of Central California, Yosemite’s Half Dome peeked above fog that formed in the valley below to create an awesome sight. Bright blue sky was the backdrop to the image. Nearby Sierra peaks are covered in snow. The scene is completed by the fog that formed beneath the massive granite landmark.
Valley Cultural Calendar Thursday, March 1st , 2018 Valley Cultural Coalition Great things are happening in the Valley. Here’s a list of VCC member offerings to keep you busy and entertained!
BC celebrates Women’s History Month with series of events Bakersfield Californian The year was 1885, and nearly 40 years had passed since the pivotal moment in 1848 that a determined Elizabeth Cady Stanton organized the first U.S. convention on women’s rights, calling for equality and voting rights, among other driving issues. And yet at 70 years old, surrounded by 50 women celebrating her birthday in 1885 (a time when women still lacked the right to vote), Stanton shared a speech on “The Pleasures of Age.” She challenged women not to let age stop them from making change or pursuing their passions, “for brave souls, true women, are needed everywhere.”
Public Workshop: AB 617 Implementation, Tues. March 6 @ 5:30PM San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution District The Valley Air District invites you to attend a public workshop to present, discuss, and receive feedback on Assembly Bill (AB) 617 implementation and the San Joaquin Valley Community Engagement and Protection Program at 5:30 PM on Tuesday, March 6, 2018.
Former Fresno State Coach: The Warriors’ 70-Year-Old Truth-Teller The New York Times Out on the hardwood, toward a far corner of the gym, crouches a 70-year-old man, thin and bespectacled, with a crook in his back, a hitch in his step and braces on his wrists to protect them from bullet passes. He is drilling a quartet of Golden State Warriors, each young enough to be his grandson.
EDITORIALS
We have to revisit how we can provide armed security to schoolsSierra Star It started out as any normal Valentine’s Day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. There would have been a great deal of “love in the air” on that Wednesday. Then all Hell broke loose. Just before the school buses would begin to roll to take the children home a lone gunman decided to start shooting. The maniac had been a student at that school so he was familiar with the routines, the buildings, and the targets. He had been expelled from the school for his bad behavior.
While Congress dawdles, corporate America takes steps on gun violenceSan Francisco Chronicle While Congress dawdles shamefully on gun control, another group isn’t shy about taking action after the high school shootings in Parkland, Fla. Some of the nation’s largest corporations are stepping in to oppose free-and-easy access to firearms and the obdurate National Rifle Association.
California’s Dreamers are safe for now, but Trump’s war on immigrants continuesSacramento Bee With raids in the Central Valley, ICE wants to prove California isn’t off limits because its a sanctuary state. It’s a petty point to make.
Immigration divides us just as it hurts us Modesto Bee This what immigration enforcement looks like in Donald Trump’s America: A mother of three U.S. citizens, who has lived mostly in Modesto for the past 30 years, is being ordered to Mexico, despite the fact her cancer could kill her if deprived of medications. Fire Jared KushnerLos Angeles Times Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and advisor-with-too-many- |