August 22, 2016

22Aug

Top stories

George Skelton: On California’s crumbling roads, legislators haven’t even moved out of the driveway — Gov. Jerry Brown called a special legislative session last year to speed passage of a bill to repair California’s crumbling roads. The politicians have failed miserably. It’s worse than gridlock. Lawmakers haven’t even moved out of the driveway. Skelton column in LA Times

A big question complicating the climate debate: Where’s the money for poor people – Unless more money gets directed to poor communities, lawmakers whose votes may be needed to continue the climate change efforts say they’re wary. Assemblyman Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove), a leader in the business-aligned bloc of his party, said he hasn’t made up his mind, in part, because he’s outraged people living in a handful of wealthy Bay Area and West Los Angeles communities have received by far the largest shares of state rebates to purchase electric cars. LA Times article

Immigration

It’s children against immigration lawyers in immigration court — Suspected killers, kidnappers and others facing federal felony charges, no matter their ages, are entitled to court-appointed lawyers if they cannot afford them. But children accused of violating immigration laws, a civil offense, do not have the same right. In immigration court, people face charges from the government, but the government has no obligation to provide lawyers for poor children and adults, as it does in criminal cases, legal experts say. New York Times article

Other areas

Bruce Blodgett: Overtime bill would hurt farmworkers, consumers – The executive director of the San Joaquin Farm Bureau writes, “At the end of this you will have less local food, fewer family farms and worse yet, the people who will be hurt the most will be the farmworkers. The alleged labor advocates will claim this as a victory, yet it is the farmworkers who will suffer to the tune of $300 in lost earning potential per week. Sacramento needs to wake up.” Blodgett in Stockton Record

Presidential Politics

Does Trump want mass deportations? That’s ‘to be determined’ – It’s unclear what exactly Donald Trump wants to do when it comes to the 11 million immigrants illegally living in the United States. Washington Post articleLA Times article

California Government Today:

Senate Daily File

Assembly Daily File

News Stories

Top Stories

California crime measure triggers 52,000 fewer arrests — A 2014 California voter-approved initiative that reduced penalties for certain drug and property crimes has led to the lowest arrest rate in state history as police frequently ignore those illegal activities, experts say. AP article

For some students, return to Fresno State means reliable free meals — Brenda Hartman drives 50 miles a day to get to her classes at Fresno State from her home in Oakhurst. When she enrolled there in 2013, she was part of the state’s Welfare to Work program, taking care of her three children and pursuing a master’s degree in public health. Already struggling, a bout of bad luck almost made her give up college in order to make ends meet – something the 52-year-old had done many times before. Then Hartman found the Student Cupboard – a free food pantry for Fresno State students that opened in 2014. Students are allowed to obtain one bag of groceries per day and can choose from a variety of food and hygiene products. All they need to qualify is a student ID card. Fresno Bee articleVideo: Fresno State’s Student Cupboard is a safety net for all students’ in Fresno Bee

Jobs and the Economy

Bay Area start-ups find low-cost outposts in Arizona – As start-ups across San Francisco and the Silicon Valley try to contend with high salaries and housing costs, many are expanding to lower-cost cities in the West and employing more people like Ms. Rogers. For Phoenix, which is about a 90-minute flight from San Francisco, the Bay Area’s loss is its gain. New York Times article

Decoding coding camps’ job claims – If you believe their ads, coding boot camps are a fast track to a six-figure job. San Francisco Chronicle article

People of color receive ‘reparations’ through volunteer website — The site, called Reparations, runs on a simple premise: White people can help those who were born with less by offering to address specific needs. People of color can issue requests, which will be posted on the site, and white people are encouraged to answer them (although people of any race can). Alternatively, white people can post offerings, and people of color can accept. San Francisco Chronicle article

Court pension decision weakens ‘California rule’ – Last week, an appeals court issued a ruling in a Marin County case that is a “game changer” if upheld by the state Supreme Court, said a news release from former San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, who wants to put a pension reform initiative on the 2018 ballot. Justice James Richman of the First District Court of Appeal wrote that“while a public employee does have a ‘vested right’ to a pension, that right is only to a ‘reasonable’ pension — not an immutable entitlement to the most optimal formula of calculating the pension. Calpensions article

Olivia Garcia: Hispanic business conference to examine issues impacting local industries, employees – From cyber security and health care to finance and social media, the 22nd annual Hispanic Business Conference and Expo will be examining a variety of topics through its business workshops starting at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 25, at the Doubletree Hotel. Bakersfield Californian article

Rent-to-own homes: A win-win for landlord, a risk for struggling tenants — Companies that offer “rent to own” contracts say they are bringing homeownership to Americans who would otherwise struggle to get a mortgage. But such agreements reside in a gray area of the law and come loaded with risks, a Times investigation found. New York Times article

California court to decide fight over gold mining technique — California’s Supreme Court could clear the way for a new era of gold prospectors more than a century after the state’s historic Gold Rush. The court is set to rule Monday on the legality of the state’s ban on the use of suction dredges to extract gold from rivers. AP article

Agriculture/Water/Drought

Don Curlee: Cal ag industry is organo-strong — Whatever you grow, however you are connected, California agriculture offers an organization or association you can join and find compatibility and purpose. Some of them are realigning to face new and different challenges. Curlee in Visalia Times-Delta

Criminal Justice/Prisons

Man points replica gun at officer, is shot in southwest Fresno – A man is in the hospital and will face charges after pointing a replica gun at a police officer and another man in southwest Fresno Saturday night, Fresno police Chief Jerry Dyer said. Fresno Bee article

County law enforcement agencies team up against spike in fatal DUI classes — In years past, 10 fatalities in Stanislaus County related to driving under the influence was a high number in the California Highway Patrol’s jurisdiction. Goals made for state grants to combat drunk and drugged driving in 2016 aimed for fewer than that number, but just over halfway through the year, “we are on pace to exceed it,” said CHP Officer Eric Parsons. Modesto Bee article

 Accident took ‘cop’s cop’ — An off-duty Stockton police officer known as “a cop’s cop” was killed in a hit-and-run collision Saturday night west of Escalon, authorities reported. Stockton Record article

Oakland police monitor sees continued racial disparities — After more than a decade of federal monitoring, police in Oakland are still showing signs of racial disparities in enforcement, according to the latest report. Officers, it said, were much more likely to stop and search African Americans than whites, but found suspected contraband more often on whites. San Francisco Chronicle article

Education

Finding the ‘forgotten students’: Cortopassi grants kick-start students’ dreams – They come from different schools, represent different cultures and shepherd different dreams. But 43 new college students who gathered at San Joaquin Delta College last week had at least two things in common: Each is no stranger to adversity. And each has a benefactor who knows a thing or two about overcoming life’s challenges. Stockton Record article

Move-in day brings responsibilities for first-year UC Merced students – Lines to the elevators and large bins stuffed with pillows, bedding, toiletries and clothes filled the entrances of UC Merced dormitories Saturday morning. Around 2,100 first-year students are getting their first taste of college life, said Charles Nies, vice chancellor for student affairs at UC Merced. Merced Sun-Star article

Teachers wanted for 2017 business internships — With 21 summer internships for 2016 done, Stanislaus Partners in Education is setting its sights on teacher interns and host companies for summer 2017. Modesto Bee article

Merced schools deal with breast pumping on case-by-case basis – So far, no traditional high schools in Merced Union High School District offer a special breastfeeding room, but administrators will make the effort to find a space for new mothers, whether they be teachers or students. Merced Sun-Star article

Robert Price: Bakersfield High School hides its public face behind a repair shop — The oldest continuously operating secondary school in the southern San Joaquin Valley looks appropriately dignified from its western approach. Behold the massive chunk of concrete that is Bakersfield High School’s vaunted Griffith Field, home to more state football championships and undefeated seasons than any school in California. Price in Bakersfield Californian
Energy/Environment

Western fires may sicken more people as climate warms – In the West, where populations living near forests and scrublands are growing, global warming is projected to fuel worsening wildfires, mostly by drying out the land. Research published this week showed how those forces will combine to cause wildfire pollution to threaten tens of millions more people during the years ahead than are currently at risk. KQED report

‘Superscoopers’ join Cedar Fire fight as it reaches area with less fuel — Sunday brought mixed news but the possibility of some relief for the 1,200 firefighters from around the state battling the Cedar Fire burning west of Kernville. The fire moved closer to homes in the upper area of Wofford Heights west of Isabella Lake, but was burning into an area with less fuel according to Kern County Fire Department Capt. Tyler Townsend, the agency spokesman. Bakersfield Californian article

Firefighters slow Chimney Fire’s path to Hearst Castle – The Chimney fire expanded to 24,096 acres Saturday night as fire teams worked to prevent its advance towards the historic Hearst Castle and other communities. LA Times article 

Toxic muck: California’s algae problem is worse than ever – Algae blooms are a natural feature of summer, but the record levels of cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, are rattling state officials this year. KQED report

Volcanic springs offer hope for threatened fish – Snow-capped Mount Shasta and the slumbering volcanoes of the Cascade range hold reservoirs of life-giving cold water that nourish threatened fish and could save the species when the changing climate warms downstream rivers, UC scientists say. San Francisco Chronicle article

Michael Fitzgerald: The fisherman who saved Big Trees — History records that a Stockton man, Stuart Gibbons (1897-1991), led the campaign to save the giant sequoias in the south grove of Calaveras Big Trees State Park. But there may be a second man who, unbeknownst to everybody, saved the giant sequoias all over again: Joe Kishi, who happened to be passing at the right time to stop a forest fire. Fitzgerald in Stockton Record

Health/Human Services 

Valley has insured 78 percent of uninsured since Obamacare began — The San Joaquin Valley has insured more than 75 percent of its previously uninsured residents since the Affordable Care Act went into effect, according to a new survey. The Valley has insured 78 percent of the previously uninsured population, which is higher than the 72 percent insured statewide. Fresno Bee article

Land Use/Housing

San Joaquin County looks to finalize winery ordinance — San Joaquin County’s long-awaited winery ordinance could finally be in place by the end of this year. The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing to discuss an amendment to the ordinance relating to winery operations and events. Stockton Record article

Transportation

 Sacramento light rail agency wants to make station ‘naming rights’ deal — Sacramento Regional Transit is searching hard these days for ways to shore up its shaky finances and has come up with an idea. The agency wants to sell naming rights to light-rail stations. Who’d be interested, and how much would they pay? Sacramento Bee article