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 FRIDAY, March 16th, 2018 – $56,000 Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship – Applications Due 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.
Nunes committee: No collusion between Trump team, Russia The Fresno Bee Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee have completed a draft report concluding there was no collusion or coordination between Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and Russia, a finding sure to please the White House and enrage panel Democrats. Rep. Mike Conaway announced Monday the committee has finished interviewing witnesses and will share the report with Democrats on Tuesday. See also: ● No coordination between Trump and Russia, according to draft GOP reportPBS NewsHour ● Republicans shut down House Russia probe over Democratic objectionsReuters
Rep. David Valadao hit with lawsuits over $9 million in family farm debts San Jose Mercury News A Central Valley congressman in a competitive district is facing lawsuits accusing his family farm of defaulting on more than $9 million in debts.
A Tom McClintock rival promised to drop out. So why did she just file to run?Sacramento Bee In early January, Democratic congressional candidate Regina Bateson was unequivocal. If the state party endorsed someone else in her race, she would end her campaign so Democrats could focus on unseating Republican Rep. Tom McClintock.
These are the candidates running against vulnerable congressional Republicans in the Central Valley Los Angeles Times Republicans in Congress from the Central Valley are used to being Democratic targets. Hillary Clinton in 2016 won both of the districts that are considered pickup opportunities in the Democrats’ quest to retake control of the U.S. House. Here’s a quick look at the candidates who will appear on the June 5 primary ballot in the 10th and 21st congressional districts, and the designations that will be listed after their names
Anti-Trump protesters call off plans, say presidential visit to Fresno unlikely Fresno Bee Anti-Trump protesters called off events planned for Wednesday, saying a visit to Fresno this week is not likely on the president’s California tour. “As of this moment, it doesn’t appear that Trump will be coming to town. We’re keeping this event page up on the off chance he swoops into town clandestinely,” a group called The Fresno Resistance posted to its event page Monday.
California Attorney General to investigate the Madera County Board of SupervisorsKFSN-TV Due to a potential conflict of interest between the Madera County District Attorney and the Madera County Board of Supervisors, the state Attorney General will be taking over an investigation into unethical and illegal conduct.
County Counsel responds to DA Linn Sierra Star Madera County Counsel, Regina Garza, released a statement, Monday March 12, on behalf of the Madera County Board of Supervisors in response to District Attorney David Linn’s recent announcement that the Attorney General is taking over his investigation into the board
Madera Co DA David Linn files for re-electionMadera Tribune Madera County District Attorney David A. Linn has announced his candidacy for re-election. The primary will be June 5. Linn said that although when was first elected he was not sure whether he would seek re-election, he has now decided to. All necessary documents and filing fees were provided to the Madera County Clerk’s Office/Elections Division earlier this week.
Dunbar: State water board knows it can’t justify the water grab, but it won’t matter The Modesto Bee There’s no doubt members of the State Water Resources Control Board don’t want to hear another word about their water grab from farmers, elected leaders, economists, irrigation districts or especially newspaper columnists
Student Protests Over School Shootings · Clovis Unified student upset over teacher’s comments on walkout The Fresno Bee · After unruly protest, Stagg students work to repair image Stockton Record · Those who walkout on Wednesday will join a rich history of student protestEdSource
High school district breaks ground on $60 million career facility The Bakersfield Californian Kern High School District officials broke ground Monday on a multi-million dollar Career Technical Education facility to be located in southwest Bakersfield. That $60 million facility, which is being funded through a $280 million taxpayer-approved bond measure passed in 2016, will serve students taking vocational education courses, including a construction trades class where students will build so-called “Tiny Houses” for their final projects.
New Yosemite Unified superintendent confident about district’s financial future KFSN-TV Yosemite Unified’s solution to their budget crisis came in the form of a familiar face. Longtime educator and Superintendent Mike Berg, says he’s confident he can turn everything around.
Fresno deploying more officers as gang violence surges Fresno Bee A day after after a 20-year-old was killed and an 11-year-old was shot, Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said he is deploying more officers in the city in anticipation of retaliatory shootings. According to Dyer, 40 more officers were working Sunday, and he expects to have more in the coming days. Dyer said although crime is down 40 percent, there has been an increase in the past 12 hours.
Frazier picked as administrator Madera Tribune In a contentious 4-to-3 vote the Madera City Council appointed former Madera police chief Steve Frazier as city administrator March 7. He replaces former administrator David Tooley, who resigned in December after some 25 years. Local program helps Welfare recipients find jobs in the trucking industry ABC30 Economic Development Commission and private companies team up to match people looking for work with a high demand industry. Truck driver Breanna Luna is ready for a haul across the Valley. “It’s pretty incredible getting in the truck and feeling so much power,” said Luna.
Kern County supervisors to hear debate on $14.3 million in delayed ag and habitat mitigation The Bakersfield Californian South Valley environmental groups have been fuming behind the scenes at the County of Kern over a 2,732-acre agricultural mitigation plan that is supposed to benefit the threatened Swainson’s hawk.
The Bakersfield Californian Inmates housed at Lerdo Pre-Trial Jail Facility are tampering with aging door locks at record numbers, leading to scores of criminals breaking out of their cells on a regular basis, and a large-scale riot in February, Kern County Sheriff’s officials said Monday.
ICE Is Auditing This Central Valley Grower, Again – And He Blames California Lawmakers KQED In late January, Mike Poindexter, a third-generation walnut grower in the Central Valley town of Selma, received some bad news. It came in the form of a letter from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It said federal agents would be auditing his business.
Modesto eyes its own internet network The Modesto Bee City leaders are interested in taking at least the initial steps in having Modesto create its own fiber optic network, which officials say would offer super-fast internet service and be an economic boon for the city in attracting and keeping businesses. The City Council held a workshop last week regarding a master plan that lays out how the city could create the network. The city hired the consulting firm of Kimley-Horn to create the plan at a cost of $167,365. One of the firm’s employees took part in the workshop.
Modesto considers site for homeless near downtown Modesto Bee Modesto leaders Tuesday could formally support a proposal to open a shelter and day center for the homeless near downtown, which would operate for as long as three years until more comprehensive services are started.
State Politics:
Soundcloud This week’s episode looks at the political firestorm from the Trump administration lawsuit against California’s new immigration laws, and the showdown in Sacramento with the U.S. attorney general. We also look at the impact now that the sexual misconduct investigation has been completed involving state Sen. Bob Hertzberg. With John Myers and Melanie Mason of the Los Angeles Times.
Gov. Brown Letter to Trump: ‘Our Prosperity Is Not Built on Isolation’ KQED In anticipation of President Trump’s first visit to the nation’s largest state this week, Gov. Jerry Brown has sent the president a letter touting California’s entrepreneurial spirit, saying immigrants have been key to the state’s success for decades. See also: ● Looking to Trump the Cost of the Bullet Train Fox and Hounds Daily ● What’s Behind Delay, Cost Increase Of California High Speed Rail? CBS Sacramento ● Gov. Jerry Brown urges Trump to ‘come aboard’ efforts to build bullet train while visiting California Los Angeles Times
Skelton: Villaraigosa is right, single-payer healthcare in California is a political pipe dream Los Angeles Times Antonio Villaraigosa thinks he has a solid weapon to hammer Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom with as they run for governor. And he probably does. It’s Newsom’s strong support for creating a state-run, single-payer health insurance program.
Tax proposals California could use to pay for universal, single-payer health care The Sacramento Bee For California to create a single-payer system, it could need $200 billion from taxpayers. Here’s a look at the kind of taxes increases that would be needed.
Los Angeles Times California voters made history on Tuesday in the race for the U.S. Senate, sending two Democrats to a November runoff and denying a Republican a spot on the fall ballot for the first time since the state’s first direct election of senators in 1914. State Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris won the largest share of the vote and the title of winner in the primary. By the end of the night, Harris led Orange County Rep. Loretta Sanchez by more than 800,000 votes, a margin of 23 percentage points. See also: · Odds That Two Democrats Advance In California’s US Senate Race Increase Capital Public Radio News · No GOP Candidates Step Up to Challenge Sen. Dianne Feinstein Roll Call
Whatever happened to the California Republican? A state lawmaker thinks he has the answer. Washington Post A California Republican once had a distinct identity: a Western live-and-let-live conservatism that reserved its harshest judgments for the size and shape of government, not people. Or so Chad Mayes, a man of various identities, would argue.
Californians and the Gas Tax Repeal Public Policy Institute of California Governor Brown’s 2018–19 budget proposal includes a large boost to transportation funding because of recently passed legislation. In 2017, California raised the gas tax for the first time in 23 years, increasing gasoline and diesel fuel by 12 and 20 cents per gallon, respectively. The state also created a new annual fee based on vehicle value. The taxes and fees are estimated to raise over $4.6 billion in the next year to repair state and local roads, highways, and bridges, and to strengthen mass transit. However, a Republican-led initiative to repeal the bill continues to collect signatures to qualify for the November ballot.
Legislature: Solve your harassment problem Capitol Weekly California has long sponsored the most progressive, socially responsible policies and regulations in the country – including regulations about harassment prevention education for managers. In fact, California regulations have detailed requirements of which topics to include in AB1825 training, how to prevent harassment and retaliation, how to report and respond to harassment complaints if they do occur and how to publish a complaint and investigation procedure. Employers throughout the country have followed the California regulations as a model.
San Diego assemblywoman agrees to $4000 fine for campaign finance reporting violations Los Angeles Times Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) has agreed to pay $4,000 in fines to the state’s campaign watchdog agency for failing to properly disclose contributions made and received by her 2014 campaign for the Legislature, according to documents released Monday.
Los Angeles Times The “robot apocalypse” that some envisioned with the rise of artificial intelligence hasn’t arrived, but machine learning systems are becoming part of Californians’ everyday lives, tech experts told state lawmakers in Sacramento last week.
Federal Politics:
Protests to await Trump’s visit to California border The Bakersfield Californian Rallies for and against Donald Trump’s “big beautiful border wall” with Mexico are expected to mark his first visit to California as president amid growing tensions between his administration and the state over immigration enforcement. See also: ● President Donald Trump visits California The Sacramento Bee ● Trump administration accuses California of “bankrolling” human smuggling operations Sacramento Bee ● After a year of trading barbs with California, Trump will soon land in the Golden State Los Angeles Times ● LAPD ‘prepared for anything’ as Trump comes to Southern California on first trip as president Los Angeles Times ● Will Obamajam become Trumpjam? Trump’s visit has LA commuters nervousLos Angeles Times ● Trump Will Visit US-Mexico Border To Tout Long-Promised Wall NPR ● A Visit Behind the Lines: President Trump Heads to California New York Times ● President Trump’s California visit to include largest border city opposed to wallThe Press Democrat
Politifact CA: President Trump’s Record With The Truth As He Visits California Politifact CA If his past statements about California are any guide, Trump is likely to make claims about immigration, California’s sanctuary state policies and the MS-13 gang that originated in California prisons.
Tillerson out at State, to be replaced by CIA chief Pompeo The Fresno Bee President Donald Trump fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday and said he would nominate CIA Director Mike Pompeo to replace him, ending Tillerson’s difficult tenure by tweeting an ouster that had been long expected and yet was shocking in its abruptness. See also: ● Trump ousts Tillerson, will replace him as secretary of state with CIA chief Pompeo Washington Post
Judge: Trump administration violated law over smog findings Washington Post The Trump administration violated federal law when it failed to meet a deadline to identify all parts of the U.S. that don’t meet air quality standards for smog, a federal judge ruled on Monday.
ICE spokesman quit over descriptions of 800 people evading arrest: report TheHill The San Francisco spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reportedly resigned because of what he viewed as false statements from the Trump administration and ICE about recent immigration sweeps in Northern California.
Trump’s tough talk on guns and NRA gives way to political reality Las Vegas Review-Journal During a February White House discussion on school safety, President Donald Trump singled out Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., for not including a provision to raise the legal age to buy a long gun from 18 t0 21 in a bill the senator had sponsored. “You know why?” Trump schooled Toomey, “because you’re afraid of the NRA, right?” Monday, Trump saw his own words thrown back at him after the White House released a list of actions to improve school safety that does not include raising the legal age to purchase a long gun — a measure opposed by the National Rifle Association. See also: ● Why Donald Trump Blinked on Guns Time ● Donald Trump Is Just Another N.R.A. Patsy, but He Can’t Stop the “Never Again” Movement New Yorker ● Trump backs off raising age limit to buy some weapons and focuses on arming teachers Los Angeles Times
Other:
What Science Tells Us About the Effects of Gun Policies RAND Good public policies are based on facts and data, and the best laws—including gun laws—are written when policymakers understand the effects of the policy on a range of outcomes and can weigh the inherent trade-offs. For gun policies, relevant outcomes can include, among others, the health of the gun industry, individuals’ ability to defend themselves, and homicide and suicide rates. In other words, policymakers need to understand the costs and benefits that different policies are likely to produce for society as a whole, including gun owners, communities wracked by violence, and other affected groups.
There’s an Awful Lot We Still Don’t Know About Guns The New York Times It’s a measure of the divisiveness of guns in the United States that federal public health officials barely spend any money funding gun violence research.
Is Forgiveness the Basis of a Healthy Democracy? Zócalo Public Square Why do we have such difficulty thinking about forgiveness? Read the news on any day and you’ll find stories of war, injustices present and past, and attacks on democracy. It’s apparently a world of apathy and lack of empathy for one another. Forgiveness is not a virtue of this de-civilizing world.
Protect the voices of women, people of color and working families with unions Fresno Bee It’s National Women’s History Month, and while our names are not well known, we are making history of our own. We are fighting to make sure good union jobs that have propelled women forward in the workplace and given families a shot at the American dream don’t become history in the Valley.
Topics in More Detail…
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Roof rats are invading California farms and destroying fruit, nuts and irrigation lines Fresno Bee Roof rats, a common problem for city dwellers, are migrating to California farms and nibbling on everything from avocados to irrigation tubing. University of California scientists say last year’s wet weather created a perfect environment for the quick-breeding rats to flourish.
Los Angeles Times California’s pot regulation agency has sent 900 warning letters to marijuana shops suspected of operating without state licenses. Lori Ajax, the chief of the state Bureau of Cannabis Control, also sent a cease-and-desist notice to the marijuana-location service Weedmaps, telling it to stop advertising sellers that lack a permit, officials said Wednesday.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
For stories on ”gun control,” See: “Top Stories – Federal and Other Politics,” above
Crime:
Fresno deploying more officers as gang violence surges Fresno Bee A day after after a 20-year-old was killed and an 11-year-old was shot, Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said he is deploying more officers in the city in anticipation of retaliatory shootings. According to Dyer, 40 more officers were working Sunday, and he expects to have more in the coming days. Dyer said although crime is down 40 percent, there has been an increase in the past 12 hours. See also: · Fresno Police add more officers after violent weekend KFSN-TV
Los Angeles Times The California Supreme Court, citing false evidence, decided unanimously Monday to overturn the conviction of a Delano man sent to death row more than two decades ago for murdering and sodomizing a toddler. The action by the state high court, which upheld the man’s conviction and death sentence in 2005, was extremely rare. See also: ● California Supreme Court overturns conviction of Kern County death row inmate Vicente Benavides The Bakersfield Californian
Public Safety:
The Bakersfield Californian Inmates housed at Lerdo Pre-Trial Jail Facility are tampering with aging door locks at record numbers, leading to scores of criminals breaking out of their cells on a regular basis, and a large-scale riot in February, Kern County Sheriff’s officials said Monday.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Protect the voices of women, people of color and working families with unions Fresno Bee It’s National Women’s History Month, and while our names are not well known, we are making history of our own. We are fighting to make sure good union jobs that have propelled women forward in the workplace and given families a shot at the American dream don’t become history in the Valley.
California Democratic Party platform supports universal basic income (ex: Stockton) Trump considers pundit for top economic post Fresno Bee Media personality Larry Kudlow, an advocate of low taxes and free trade, has emerged as a leading candidate to replace Gary Cohn as director of the White House’s National Economic Council, two people briefed on the process said.
The Trump administration’s trade tariffs Brookings In an attempt to rectify the United States’ trade deficit, President Trump announced last week that he plans to impose a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports. Though the president hopes these new tariffs will stimulate growth in the steel and aluminum industries, they could potentially incite a trade war between the United States and its strongest allies.
Jobs:
Local program helps Welfare recipients find jobs in the trucking industry KFSN-TV Economic Development Commission and private companies team up to match people looking for work with a high demand industry. Truck driver Breanna Luna is ready for a haul across the Valley. “It’s pretty incredible getting in the truck and feeling so much power,” said Luna.
Bay Area job market “defies gravity,” economists say The Mercury News The Bay Area job market will outperform the nation during 2018, but skyrocketing housing prices might imperil the region’s economy, two economists said Monday. “The Bay Area is defying gravity,” Jerry Nickelsburg, director of the UCLA Anderson Forecast, said during a conference co-sponsored by the Anderson Forecast and UC Hastings College of the Law.
EDUCATION
K-12:
For stories on “student protests over school shootings,” See: Top Stories: Local, above
New Yosemite Unified superintendent confident about district’s financial future KFSN-TV Yosemite Unified’s solution to their budget crisis came in the form of a familiar face. Longtime educator and Superintendent Mike Berg, says he’s confident he can turn everything around.
High school district breaks ground on $60 million career facility The Bakersfield Californian Kern High School District officials broke ground Monday on a multi-million dollar Career Technical Education facility to be located in southwest Bakersfield. That $60 million facility, which is being funded through a $280 million taxpayer-approved bond measure passed in 2016, will serve students taking vocational education courses, including a construction trades class where students will build so-called “Tiny Houses” for their final projects.
Teacher shortage, lack of supplies hinder rollout of new science standards, report finds EdSource Most teachers are embracing California’s new science standards, but the rollout has been hampered by teacher shortages, lackluster elementary science education, lack of supplies and other obstacles, according to a new report.
California should stay the course with its education plan to meet federal requirements EdSource The mixed messages coming from the U.S. Department of Education right now are enough to give a state whiplash. In a speech to state superintendents last week, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos criticized states for failing to take “full advantage of the opportunities for flexibility and innovation” in the new federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) — but she has yet to approve California’s ESSA state plan, which is one of the most innovative in the nation.
Teachers’ Pay — West Virginia Strike & Jacob Vigdor’s “Evidence Based Salary Schedule” Proposal National Review “Who made history? We made history!” According to Jane McAlevey, writing in The Nation, that was the triumphant chant of West Virginia teachers after state lawmakers passed legislation designed to put an end to a statewide education strike. Teachers’ unions around the country have been emboldened by the strike’s success, and understandably so: The West Virginia settlement goes beyond making concessions on wages and health benefits to include halting the expansion of charter schools and putting an end to efforts to reform work rules, among other things.
Higher Ed:
The Mercury News As California lawmakers wrestle over how to spend — or save — an estimated $6.1 billion budget surplus, a bipartisan coalition of legislators is pushing to spend some of the money on the state’s prized university systems, averting tuition hikes.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Court orders Trump administration to comply with clean air laws CALmatters Between Sacramento and Washington D.C. sits the rest of the country, and a chasm. On immigration and taxes, guns and healthcare, cannabis and climate change, California is the federal government’s equal and opposite reaction. One year into President Trump’s first term, the push and pull continues—playing out under the Capitol dome, in the courts and on Twitter. See also: · Federal court orders EPA to implement smog rules Reuters
The government is nearly done with a major report on climate change. Trump isn’t going to like it Washington Post The country’s top independent scientific advisory body has largely approved a major climate report being prepared by scientists within the Trump administration — suggesting that another key government document could soon emerge that contradicts President Trump’s skepticism about climate change and humans’ role in driving it.
Energy:
Los Angeles Times The official title for Proposition 70, a ballot measure laying out rules for future climate change revenues collected by the state, must be rewritten after a Sacramento judge agreed with a Republican lawmaker that voters in June would otherwise be misled.
Oil prices fall on relentless rise in U.S. crude output Reuters Oil rose after Donald Trump fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday, sparking a dollar fall and concern that a deal on Iran’s nuclear program could collapse. The U.S. President is replacing Tillerson with loyalist CIA Director Mike Pompeo, an outspoken critic of Iran, who has called for a 2015 nuclear deal to be scrapped. Trump has threatened to withdraw from the accord between Iran and six world powers, signed before he took office, unless Congress and European allies “fix” it with a follow-up pact.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Raise taxes or ration health care? Why single-payer won’t work in California. Yet Sacramento Bee Betty Doumas-Toto’s health insurance premium rose nearly 48 percent in January, to $800 per month for an Affordable Care Act plan. She and her husband are both Los Angeles freelancers in the film industry and are draining their savings trying to keep up with their monthly payments. See also: ● Tax proposals California could use to pay for universal, single-payer health care The Sacramento Bee
LA has cracked down on hospitals ‘dumping’ homeless patients. Is Sacramento next? Sacramento Bee Skid row used to be the place where many homeless men and women wound up after being discharged from hospitals in Los Angeles. Then Gabino Olvera, 42, was found crawling in a gutter in the downtown district, hours after his release from a nearby hospital. Paraplegic and mentally ill, he was wearing only a soiled cotton gown, witnesses reported. A catheter dangled from his body.
Finally, Californians are safer from pesticides Sacramento Bee It has been going on for decades, but it still shocks many Californians to learn that state agencies spray hazardous pesticides to residential yards, school grounds and organic farms. If you protest, they get a warrant and do it against your will. These draconian practices include spraying to kill the Japanese beetle since the 1980s, even though the chemicals fail, the insects repeatedly return and there are many safer alternatives.
Judge rules that spouse has authority to remove partner’s life support if there’s no directive Los Angeles Times A Los Angeles judge has ruled that a spouse in California is the presumptive healthcare decision maker when the partner is in a persistent vegetative state.
IMMIGRATION
ICE Is Auditing This Central Valley Grower, Again – And He Blames California Lawmakers KQED In late January, Mike Poindexter, a third-generation walnut grower in the Central Valley town of Selma, received some bad news. It came in the form of a letter from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It said federal agents would be auditing his business.
Report: Bay Area ICE spokesman resigns, refused to deliver ‘misleading facts’ The Mercury News The spokesman for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s office in San Francisco resigned last week, saying he could not echo statements made by the Trump administration and ICE officials regarding Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf’s recent warning about immigration raids that he knew to be false. See also: ● ICE Spokesman Quits Over Leaders’ Use Of ‘Misleading Facts’ To Discuss Calif. Arrests NPR ● ICE spokesman quit over descriptions of 800 people evading arrest: report TheHill
LAND USE/HOUSING
Study: Blame Cities, Not CEQA for Housing Shortage PublicCEO The oft-maligned California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) may not be to blame for the Golden State’s housing shortage and steep development costs, according to recent UC Berkeley/Columbia working paper.
Modesto considers site for homeless near downtown Modesto Bee Modesto leaders Tuesday could formally support a proposal to open a shelter and day center for the homeless near downtown, which would operate for as long as three years until more comprehensive services are started.
PUBLIC FINANCES
State fines lenders for pushing borrowers into high-cost loans Los Angeles Times High-cost lender Advance America will pay refunds to hundreds of California customers after a state regulator accused the firm of charging illegally high interest rates topping 100%.
The IRS might have a refund check for you Sacramento Bee The Internal Revenue Service says that nearly 94,000 California taxpayers who did not file a 2014 federal income tax return may be eligible for more than $95.7 million in unclaimed refunds. To collect the money, a return for 2014 must be filed with the IRS by April 17 this year.
U.S. monthly deficit largest in 6 years CNN Money New Treasury Department numbers show that the US government racked up a $215 billion deficit in February — the largest monthly deficit in six years. It was also $23 billion higher than the deficit for the same month last year. Deficits are a measure of the gulf between what the government spends and what it collects in revenue. Last month, the federal government spent roughly $371 billion, up $7 billion from February 2017. Tax receipts, meanwhile, fell to $156 billion from $172 billion a year earlier. TRANSPORTATION
Californians and the Gas Tax Repeal Public Policy Institute of California Governor Brown’s 2018–19 budget proposal includes a large boost to transportation funding because of recently passed legislation. In 2017, California raised the gas tax for the first time in 23 years, increasing gasoline and diesel fuel by 12 and 20 cents per gallon, respectively. The state also created a new annual fee based on vehicle value. See also: ● Caltrans to add 2,000 jobs for gas tax road repair projects The Sacramento Bee ● California’s highways rank poorly in condition, traffic and cost-effectivenessOCRegister
CNBC Although it has been dubbed a “bullet train to nowhere,” California Gov. Jerry Brown has pushed forward over the years with the state’s high-speed rail project. But now the day of reckoning may come sooner than expected for the state’s most expensive infrastructure project. See also: What’s Behind Delay, Cost Increase Of California High Speed Rail? CBS Sacramento
WATER
“March Mitigation” commences as unusually cold late-season storm sequence arrives California Weather Blog Recent precipitation has begun to reduce enormous seasonal deficit, but still long way to go See also: ● The Latest: New rainstorm moving into Southern California Merced Sun-Star ● Rain for most of Southern California starts this afternoon OCRegister ● This week’s storms could drop 100 inches of snow in the Sierra Nevada Sacramento Bee
New Report Sparks Debate: Delta Tunnels Could Help Save Fish Species KQED One of California’s foremost experts on freshwater fish believes there may be hope for restoring native salmon to abundance – but there’s a catch: California must build the controversial Delta tunnels, he says.
Dunbar: State water board knows it can’t justify the water grab, but it won’t matter The Modesto Bee There’s no doubt members of the State Water Resources Control Board don’t want to hear another word about their water grab from farmers, elected leaders, economists, irrigation districts or especially newspaper columnists.
Spend water storage money state voters approved The Mercury News A Kafkaesque scene is unfolding deep in the bureaucracy of the California Water Commission that could undermine efforts to adapt the state’s water system for climate change and threaten the reliability of the water you drink.
Last California drought one of the worst since Columbus landed in the New World Sacramento Bee Just how bad was California’s last drought? For most of Southern California, it was either the worst or second worst since the century Columbus landed in the New World, the Ottoman empire was started and Joan of Arc was burned at the stake.
“Xtra”
First woman elected Merced College trustee passes away, leaving long behind legacy Merced Sun-Star A “champion” for women’s issues and the first woman elected as a trustee of Merced College recently passed away, family members confirmed. Margaret M. Randolph, who helped found and expand Merced College, died at the age of 91 due to “old age and medical complications” on Feb. 28, said her eldest son, Bob Randolph.
First Modesto RecFest plans activities for land, water, sky The Modesto Bee Volunteers who’ve worked hard to reclaim parkland from illegal activities will make it easy for people to test the waters of recreation in and along Dry Creek and the Tuolumne River. The first Modesto RecFest, which organizers hope becomes an annual event, will be held Saturday in Tuolumne River Regional Park’s Gateway Parcel.
St. Pat’s deals, market food drive and special dining days St. Patrick’s Day is nearly upon us and along with all the green beer and whiskey, some local spots are celebrating the holiday with some Irish-themed treats.
EDITORIALS
The biggest outrage about America’s gun violence is Congress’ failure to do anything about itLos Angeles Times On Oct. 1, 2017, a gunman used a device known as a bump stock to convert his semiautomatic rifles into de facto machine guns, killing 58 people and wounding 441 more at an outdoor Las Vegas Strip concert venue. The widespread outrage over that massacre fueled calls for a federal ban on bump stocks and related devices, which have no purpose whatsoever other than to circumvent an existing federal ban on most automatic weapons.
Honoring the victims of the Pathway Home tragedySan Francisco Chronicle The tragedy at Yountville’s Pathway Home treatment facility, where a gunman killed three caregivers and himself last Friday, may be just the latest in a string of horrific gun massacres across the country — but its repercussions will be with the region for a long time to come.
What rights do students have with national walkout protests? The Fresno Bee It’s now been nearly a month since Nikolas Cruz opened fire in a Parkland, Fla., high school, killing 17 people and wounding another 15. For a while, it was just the latest mass shooting in a steady drumbeat of mass shootings. But now students across the country, catalyzed by grief, fear and anger, have organized a plan to walk out of school on Wednesday, March 14 as both a memorial to the dead and a call for action.
These students have something to teach us allMerced Sun-Star When high school students from Merced to Livingston to Los Banos walk out of their classrooms Wednesday morning at 10 a.m., they will be joining thousands of students coast to coast doing the same. We will be with them – in spirit if not in person.
Our View: Swenson solution rests with public engagementStockton Record It was a somewhat raucous scene. Neighborhood residents were angry that a plan that would bring massive change to their neighborhood had not been discussed with them. Officials eventually organized a town hall meeting. Yet just a few minutes into his prepared remarks, the head of the agency behind the massive plan was shouted down by the crowd.
Prop. 68 water, parks bond deserves Californians’ supportThe Mercury News One of the easiest decisions for California voters on the June 5 ballot should be Proposition 68. Vote yes on the $4.1 billion bond plan to fund parks and water projects throughout the state.
Prop. 72 rewards homeowners for conserving water The Mercury News Rather than letting rain falling on the roof run off into gutters and storm drains, the water could be used to irrigate yards. But homeowners are currently penalized with higher property taxes if they install systems to capture the rainwater. Go away, Tony MendozaLos Angeles Times Tony Mendoza resigned from the California Senate last month rather than face expulsion by his colleagues after an independent investigation concluded that he most likely engaged in a pattern of sexual misconduct involving six women, four of whom worked in his office, over the course of a decade. The Senate was expected to take action on his case later that day. The California Legislature needs to be more transparent about doing the people’s businessOCRegister In recognition of Sunshine Week, an annual celebration of open government, we call on the California Legislature to get more transparent about doing the people’s business.For decades, the Legislature has operated under a different set of transparency rules than other government entities in the state.
The New York Times New York could soon join seven other states that have done away with the unjust policy of letting employers pay waiters, bartenders and other tipped workers less than the minimum wage, a move that would help lift thousands of low-income families out of poverty. |