October 4, 2015

05Oct

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Political Stories

Top stories

With Boehner out, McCarthy as House speaker divides Fresno County GOP – John Boehner is out as House speaker and, across the central San Joaquin Valley, people steeped in the world of Washington politics are excited that his likely replacement will be Bakersfield Republican Kevin McCarthy. Unless you’re an ultra-conservative. In that case, it’s good riddance to Boehner but unfortunately more of the same with McCarthy. Fresno Bee article

Jerry Brown signs racial profiling bill, vetoes date rape measure — Amid ongoing tension between minorities and police across the country, Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation Saturday requiring law enforcement officials to gather and report detailed information about the stops they make. But Brown vetoed a slate of other crime-related bills, including one focused on date rape and another that would have banned elephant handlers from using bullhooks. Sacramento Bee articleSan Francisco Chronicle articleLA Times articleAP article

Gov. Brown

With strong message against creating new crimes, Gov. Brown vetoes drone bills — Gov. Jerry Brown on Saturday vetoed a trio of bills that would have prohibited civilians from flying aerial drones over wildfires, schools, prisons and jails, despite alarm over close calls with firefighting aircraft. LA Times article

Statewide politics/Ballot Measures

Sacramento Bee: Pass ‘motor voter,’ but don’t stop there — With California’s voter registration rate ranking 38th in the nation, Gov. Jerry Brown should sign AB 1461 into law. Registration is only half the battle, however. Sacramento Bee editorial

Sundheim get help from GOP heavyweight Shultz — Former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz will serve as a co-chairman of Republican candidate Duf Sundheim’s campaign for U.S. Senate. San Jose Mercury News article

Other areas

Dan Walters: Electrical power tripping – As the policies of AB 327 take effect, another bill sitting on Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk would require utilities to expand their use of “renewables” such as wind, solar and geothermal to 50 percent by 2030. The effect on consumers is unknown, but likely will mean even higher power bills. The utilities endorsed the measure, but they are guaranteed to recover their higher costs from their customers. Walters column in Sacramento Bee

Catherine Reheis-Boyd: Collaborative approach is needed after failure of fuel-reduction mandate – The president of the Western States Petroleum Association writes, “Rather than demonizing the petroleum industry in an effort to advance reckless policies and short-sighted political agendas, we hope the takeaway for SB 350’s proponents is the reality that Californians will be better served by a more collaborative approach to our energy and climate future.” Reheis-Boyd op-ed in Sacramento Bee

News Stories

Top Stories

Millions of dollars in California fire prevention money goes unspent — Amid a drought that has created bone-dry conditions across much of California’s wildland area, a state fire prevention account has ended recent fiscal years with tens of millions of dollars unspent. Sacramento Bee article

California high-speed rail could survive McCarthy as speaker: official — The possible appointment of a long-term critic of California’s high-speed rail plan to Speaker of the House would not hinder the $68 billion project, a leading official told Reuters on Friday. Jeff Morales, Chief Executive of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, said the project would not be affected despite McCarthy’s loud opposition to it. Reuters article

FBI: Property crime down throughout Valley, violent crime and murder a mixed bag in 2014 – Property crimes in most Valley communities declined in 2014 compared to 2013, according to data compiled by the FBI. But local law enforcement agencies say crime overall will be on the upswing once data is tallied for 2015 because of a new state law that makes it harder to jail drug addicts who commit crimes. Fresno Bee article

Jobs and the Economy

Chukchansi tribe holds election, but some members excluded — The embattled Chukchansi tribe held an election Saturday for a new tribal council, but some families said they were excluded from voting. Fresno Bee article 

Jeff Jardine: To summit up, addressing homelessness vital to Modesto, Stanislaus County – Homelessness and all that can go with it – poverty, addiction, mental health and personal health issues, crime and antisocial behaviors – aren’t going to be fixed in a single meeting. No one in the room believes that, which is why the program is a 10-year plan designed to reduce the number of people who are homeless and how long people stay homeless and to provide resources to help at-risk people from becoming homeless. Jardine column in Modesto Bee

Sacramento Bee: Don’t give up on ending homelessness – Persistence is our best weapon in getting California’s most vulnerable the help they need. Sacramento Bee editorial

Marcos Breton: Fight brewing over minimum-wage ‘carve outs’ – Securing a minimum-wage deal on Oct. 13 has plenty of risks for Sacramento. But doing nothing is risky as well. Because if nothing is done, Sacramento could see a ballot measure pushing for a $15 minimum wage similar to those approved by cities such as Los Angeles. Schenirer’s way may be the best: Have a difficult conversation now instead of a harder one later. Breton column in Sacramento Bee

From Italy to California, Volkswagen scandal was eight years in the making – Volkswagen’s diesel pollution scandal began unfolding with a series of road tests in the hills of northern Italy eight years ago. The automaker’s dirty secret was finally exposed when a team of California scientists devised a way to trick the company’s stealth software at a state-run laboratory off the San Bernardino Freeway. Sacramento Bee article

Diesel backers say Volkswagen scandal will not be end of the industry – It was a sales pitch that turned out to be too good to be true: diesel cars that could get upward of 40 miles per gallon, deliver a muscular performance on the road and still comply with U.S. clean-air rules. Sacramento Bee article

 

San Diego mayor stresses city’s stadium plan to NFL relocation committee – San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer met with three members of the NFL’s Los Angeles relocation committee, and with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, to stress that San Diego has a plan to build a new stadium to keep the Chargers from leaving. LA Times article

Lewis Griswold: Tulare County to buy office building in Visalia — Tulare County is buying an office building in Visalia for $16.9 million, which gives the county upgraded space for the sheriff’s dispatch center and other needs. Griswold in Fresno Bee

Google officially becomes Alphabet – Google is officially ‘Alphabet.’ Google Inc. on Friday completed the move to reorganize as Alphabet, and its stock will begin trading as Alphabet on the Nasdaq under the same tickers “GOOG” and “GOOGL” on Monday. Each share of Google will be automatically converted to Alphabet stock. AP article

Cooking oil depot opens in Stockton — Restaurant Technologies Inc., a cooking oil supply and management company serving restaurants, hotels and institutions, is in the process of consolidating two operations into a single 22,570-square-foot depot in Stockton. With 20 employees, the new facility replaces previous depots in Hayward and Sacramento and will serve a territory within roughly 250 miles of Stockton. Stockton Record article

Mural painter’s killing reminds Oakland that revival can be slow — The death of Antonio Ramos, 27, who was gunned down before lunch on Tuesday while painting a community peace mural, was a reminder of the stubborn grit and crime that still cling to the city despite the gentrification boom that has fueled its reputation as Brooklyn by the Bay. New York Times article

Teamsters attempting takeover of Contra Costa County’s biggest union – Contra Costa County’s biggest union is fighting for survival against a takeover bid from the Teamsters. Public Employees Union Local 1, which represents about 2,000 county workers, could lose many of its bargaining units to the labor powerhouse, which has also gone after public employees in other counties. Contra Costa Times article

With so many farmers markets in Orange County, some are struggling – Farmers markets can be found in almost every nook and cranny of Southern California. Orange County has 36 state-certified farmers markets, which is down from 42 tallied last year by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, said Donna Barnes, deputy agricultural commissioner for the state agency in Orange County. LA Times article

Why Kamala Harris is making start-up Houzz hire a ‘chief privacy officer’ — California Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris is requiring Silicon Valley start-up Houzz Inc. to hire a “chief privacy officer” as part of a settlement resolving breach-of-privacy allegations, the first time the office has imposed such a provision. LA Times article

 

Agriculture/Water/Drought

The 5 biggest misconceptions about watering your lawn during a drought – Four months into mandatory watering restrictions that have curbed Southern California’s residential irrigation routines, the news is both good and not so good. On the plus side, citizens are saving water — in many cases, beyond expectations. Many cities are making their mandatory cutback levels and then some. The not-so-good news is the confusion that remains about the best possible way to keep our landscaping, and particularly the tree canopy, alive. LA Times article 

John Holland: Farm Beat: Stanislaus crop report offers interesting nuggets — I heard it again and again Tuesday as Stanislaus County leaders looked over last year’s farm output: This is just gross. No, they weren’t turning up their noses at the milk, nuts, fruit and other food produced within our boundaries. They were reminding us that the report’s most prominent figure – a record $4.4 billion in total sales by farmers and ranchers – referred only to gross income. Holland in Modesto Bee

‘A state of drought’: Coachella Valley grapples with shrinking water supplies — The region’s trajectory — a growth-based economy dependent upon shrinking resources — represents California’s fate writ large: a place with a never-say-never frontier spirit, as it rushes into a hotter, drier and more crowded future. San Jose Mercury News article

Criminal Justice/Prisons

Investigation offers insight on Egkan’s final hours – The night Tim Egkan died, he had visited several bars on Stockton’s Miracle Mile and left the area bloodied following a fistfight. A Record investigation into the circumstances surrounding the Sept. 13 homicide provides some insight into what may have happened to the promising young developer who had a progressive vision for Stockton’s blighted downtown. It also leaves many questions unanswered. Stockton Record article

Sister of man killed in Thursday shootout wounded during candlelight vigil — The sister of two men killed in a northwest Fresno shootout was herself hit by gunfire during a candlelight vigil Friday night near the scene of the shooting, police said. Fresno Bee article

Reunion brings together lives changed through rehabilitation — Lori Muzquiz remembers wanting to go back to a normal prison in Chowchilla rather than stay at Casa Aurora, the former all-woman rehabilitation facility on Jessie Street. She recalled threatened to start a fight just so she would be sent back — anything but speak of her traumatic history with fellow inmates. Bakersfield Californian article

Education

Truancy, a problem that must be attended to —  Regular attendance in school plays a critical role in a student’s success. But for those who deliberately cut class, problems arise that can plague them during their learning years and beyond. In a report published by the Center for American Progress, truancy — as well as chronic absenteeism — has become an increasing problem. Students who constantly skip class already are on the road to becoming high school dropouts and are more likely going to be tangled in the criminal justice system. Stockton Record article

Our Diversity: Pacific ahead of most universities — Leaders of University of the Pacific say diversity is at the heart of the institution, and a recent ranking showed it is keeping to its word. Pacific, which has about 6,200 students in its three campuses, was recently ranked 100th among best colleges for diversity nationwide by College Factual, a site that allows students to use customization tools to gather information on colleges. Stockton Record article

Modesto Junior College gets grant to help students along path to graduation – The U.S. Department of Education awarded Modesto Junior College a $2.6 million, five-year grant to help its students get through college more swiftly and surely. The Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions grant will be used for what MJC calls its Removing Barriers for High Need Students project. The project has three major activities, according to an MJC statement. Modesto Bee article

Tuolumne County sheriff offers details into arrest of four in Summerville High shooting plot — Deputies have arrested four male students after uncovering a shooting plot targeting Summerville High School, authorities said. Modesto Bee article

 Energy/Environment

Farmers poised to attack oil permitting plan — A clash is brewing between Kern’s petroleum industry and members of the county’s agriculture sector over a plan to streamline local oil and gas permitting. Bakersfield Californian article

Environmentalists file suit to stop coal being shipped through Oakland — Environmental groups filed a lawsuit to try to put a wrench in an Oakland developer’s plans to ship coal through the city. Contra Costa Times article

 

Health/Human Services 

Shopping for health care made easier with new state website — A new tool for California health-care shoppers shows how widely prices can range for medical procedures county by county, and that for many procedures, health costs in the central San Joaquin Valley are some of the lowest in the state. Fresno Bee article

 

Coping with mental illness in Stanislaus County — Economic calamity has a crushing effect on a community’s mental health, resulting in more people seeking treatment for mental illnesses, ranging in severity from depression to suicidal. Modesto Bee article‘Faces of mental illness, 3 years later: Jim Christiansen’ in Modesto Bee‘Faces of mental illness, 3 years later: Antoinette and Randy Brooks’ in Modesto Bee‘Faces of mental illness, 3 years later: Suzanne De Souza’ in Modesto Bee

Ann Silberman: Changing pink focus of breast cancer awareness to finding a cure – The Sacramento resident writes, “As you are bombarded with pink this October, as you are asked to donate to a breast cancer cause at the checkout counter, ask some questions: “Does this donation truly support a cancer patient? Does it go toward the already-achieved concept of awareness, or will it go where a difference can be made?” Think deeper and more critically about what it is you are supporting and do some research yourself. Don’t donate if money doesn’t go toward cancer research or direct patient support. It is time to put the archaic concept of awareness to rest and focus on a cure.” Silberman op-ed in Sacramento Bee

For transgender people, getting healthcare remains difficult despite Obamacare — In recent years, and even more so in recent months, acceptance of the transgender community has grown, especially after the high-profile transition of Caitlyn Jenner earlier this year. Still, accessing medical care remains difficult for many such patients, with some unable to afford care or get certain treatments covered. LA Times article

 

Land Use/Housing

Rob Turner: Creating the Capitol Mall an exercise in civic futility – The co-editor of Sactown Magazine writes, “The debate swirling around the creation of an avenue fit for the capital of California is quite possibly Sacramento’s longest-running exercise in civic futility.” Turner op-ed in Sacramento Bee

Habitat for Humanity celebrates 30 years in Fresno — The Vangs are one of 129 Fresno County families that have achieved the American dream of owning a home with the help of Habitat for Humanity Fresno County. The Christian housing ministry this month is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Fresno Bee article

Transportation 

Bay Bridge designer fears leaks are damaging main cable — The cable that holds up the new Bay Bridge eastern span is vulnerable to corrosion because of rainwater leaking into its anchorages, the bridge’s lead designer has warned Caltrans — a threat that the agency has previously downplayed on the $6.4 billion project. San Francisco Chronicle article 

Elderly drivers: Should they undergo road tests? — As drivers reach 70 years of age, their rates of accidents and fatal crashes per mile driven rise and sometimes surpass levels of the youngest, most accident-prone drivers. Drivers 85 years and older have the highest rate of fatal accidents per miles driven of any age group, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. But attempts to stiffen driver’s license renewal requirements based on age have failed in California and elsewhere. San Jose Mercury News article

Other areas

Ruben Navarrette Jr.: Recovering from my Sanger High reunion hangover — It’s been a week since, in what seemed like a quick vacation to the past, I traveled to my hometown of Sanger to reconnect with Sanger High School classmates 30 years after graduation. Navarrette in Fresno Bee

Mike Klocke: Tragedy strikes again in Oregon city – Random thoughts on a Sunday morning about the Oregon community college shooting, hiring for the Stockton Police Department and other issues.  Klocke column in Stockton Record

Anti-Muslim backlash sounds familiar to Japanese-Americans — A day doesn’t go by that Mohammad ElFarra doesn’t drive by the Islamic Center of Manteca, for which he serves as Imam, and breathe a sigh of relief. Just over a month ago, the center unveiled a beautiful mosaic above the main doorway, a gift to the community. Stockton Record article

Michael Fitzgerald: The missing masterpiece of Macy’s — While researching the local Macy’s recent 50th anniversary, I stumbled across a curious fact: a huge, artistically significant mural went missing from the store. The mural, commissioned by Macy’s especially for the Stockton store, was painted by a renowned Bay Area watercolorist named Kenneth Potter (1926-2011). Fitzgerald column in Stockton Record

Valley Editorial Roundup

 

Fresno Bee – U.S. Senate should confirm Dale Drozd as federal judge in Fresno.

 

Sacramento Bee – With California’s voter registration rate ranking 38th in the nation, Gov. Jerry Brown should sign AB 1461 into law. Registration is only half the battle, however; Persistence is our best weapon in getting California’s most vulnerable the help they need.

 

Maddy Events

Sunday, Oct. 4, at 5 p.m. on Fresno ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Public Safety Realignment: Emerging Trends in Year 2” – Guests: Public Policy Institute of California analysts Steven Raphael and Magnus Lofstrom. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director Mark Keppler.

Sunday, Oct. 4, at 10 a.m. on KMJ (580AM and 105.9FM Radio/podcast) – Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: “Realignment and Valley Crime: Has the Second Year Been the Charm?” — Guests: Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer, Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims and Fresno State criminology professor Emma Hughes. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director Mark Keppler.

Sunday, Oct. 11, at 7 a.m. on Univision 21 (KFTV) and UniMas 61 (KTFF) – El Informe Maddy: “High Speed Rail in California” – Guest: Elizabeth Jonasson, information officer for California High-Speed Rail Authority. Host: Maddy Institute Deputy Director Ana Melendez.

The Maddy Report airs throughout California on The Cal Channel.  Check http://www.calchannel.com to find the Cal Channel and schedule in your area.  You also can view previous Maddy Report programs in their entirety at http://www.maddyinstitute.org/policy-analysis/the-maddy-report-tv.

 

Community Events

 

  • West Hills Community College District will hold an event, “Shifting Ground — Adapting the San Joaquin Valley Economy to a Changing Climate,” on Oct. 8 at Harris Ranch in Coalinga. Senior leaders from business, agriculture, government agencies and nonprofits will gather to launch immediate actions and provide near-term guidance to create next generation jobs in a region battered by drought and struggling with multiple challenges. Visit www.essentialelementsseries.comfor details of this no-fee policy series.
  • Zocalo Public Square will hold an event, “Can Fresno Win the War on Poverty?,” at Frank’s Place at Warnors Center for the Performing Arts in Fresno on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m.  More information: www.ZocaloPublicSquare.org.
  • The fourth annual San Joaquin Valley Affordable Housing Summit will be held at the Bakersfield Marriott at the Convention Center on Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Registration and additional information is available here.
  • The 34thannual Agribusiness Management Conference will be held at the DoubleTree Hotel and Conference Center in Fresno on Wednesday, Nov. 4. The event will feature presentation on the economic outlook for agriculture, trade, water, and immigration.  More information:  559.278.4405 or www.csufcab.com.
  • The 2015 California Economic Summit will be held in Ontario on Nov. 12-13.  Since its inception in 2012, the Summit has brought together hundreds of private, public and civic leaders from the state’s diverse regions in an effort to advance the triple bottom line: promoting a prosperous economy that respects environment and equity concerns.  More information and registration is available here.

 

Interactive

 

Next 10: UPDATED California budget challenge – For the first time in a decade, California’s budget is largely in balance.  However, the state has outstanding debts of $28 million, not counting long-term pension and retiree health care costs.  Budget choices affect us all.  Take the Challenge and decide how much should be spent on programs and where the money should come from.  Next 10 California Budget Challenge

Next 10: Federal budget challenge — The Federal Budget Challenge is based on The Concord Coalition’s Principles and Priorities budget exercise, which has been used in numerous town hall meetings across the country by members of Congress from both parties, as well as in hundreds of high school and college classrooms.  Next 10 Federal Budget challenge at www.federalbudgetchallenge.org.

Next 10: California Water Challenge – As our state faces some of the most severe drought conditions in its history, Next 10 wants to issue a new challenge to Californians: can you create a plan to make sure there’s enough water for everyone?  Next 10 California Water Challenge

LEGISLATORS’ VOTING RECORDS: How often has a California legislator broken party ranks, abstained or switched sides? The Sacramento Bee has a database of the voting records of every member of the state Senate and Assembly. Enter a lawmaker’s last and first names to see how he or she voted, or enter a bill number to see how every legislator voted on it. Check it out at this link.  http://www.sacbee.com/votingrecord/

More Information

 

Please visit http://www.maddyinstitute.com/news/maddy-daily if you want to view the Maddy Daily with our comprehensive list of links to all federal, state and local government, public affairs institutes/regional entities, Valley media and public policy blogs. (Please note new website address.)

Maddy Institute Updates List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials – The Maddy Institute has updated its list of San Joaquin Valley elected officials.  The list is available here.

 

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

 

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