October 7, 2019

07Oct

POLICY & POLITICS

 

North SJ Valley:

 

In Stockton, Early Clues Emerge About Impact of Guaranteed Income

City Lab

Eight months into the 18-month project, researchers have released preliminary data about who’s participating, what they’re spending the money on, and how raising the income floor can change the entire structure of a life.

See also:

 

Governor approves $12M to replace fire services radio equipment across Stanislaus

Modesto Bee

The Stanislaus County Office of Emergency Services is set to receive $12 million in one-time funding to upgrade radios and improve radio communications infrastructure.

 

Developers offer new homes in Modesto area. But will it relieve the housing shortage?

Modesto Bee

Today, there is a limited selection of newly built homes for first-time or other potential buyers in the Modesto area. And the prices are out of reach for many saddled with increasing rent payments for an apartment or house.

See also:

 

Way out past Denair, a family farms in a way that could help save the planet

Modesto Bee

The family has curtailed the carbon emissions, from tractors and other sources, that have contributed to a general rise in global temperatures. And they have other practices that capture carbon in the soil and plant tissue.

 

EDITORIAL: Here’s how Stanislaus County animal shelter achieved ‘no kill’ status for dogs

Modesto Bee

The Stanislaus animal shelter is now considered a ‘no kill’ shelter for dogs, a remarkable achievement for an area chronically challenged by pet overpopulation. For the moment, let’s acknowledge that early every dog put behind bars in the Stanislaus shelter eventually finds a home.

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

California’s Poorest Big City (Fresno) Faces a Different Kind of Housing Crisis

City Lab

Housing costs have been a relative bargain in inland cities like Fresno. But a sharp rise in rental costs is making life less affordable for low-income families.

 

Fewer Valley people are in ‘poverty.’ But low wages mean many still can’t make ends meet

Fresno Bee

The number of people considered by the federal government to be in “poverty” in Fresno County and much of the central San Joaquin Valley last year was lower than it was in 2010. But Valley counties continue to be plagued by higher rates of poverty than most of the rest of California.

See also:

 

O’Farrell gives State of the District at CUSD Superintendent’s Breakfast

Clovis Roundup

Thus far, the report shows they have been on target and in the right direction, ensuring the success of Clovis students. Since the state’s new testing methods were implemented five years ago, Clovis Unified scores have steadily increased every year on assessments in math and English/Language Arts.

 

Clovis Citizens Academy Welcomes Residents

Clovis Roundup

“We are excited to bring back this program which provides a forum for Clovis residents to engage with representatives of the city,” explains Chad McCollum, Public Affairs and Information Supervisor.

 

Sikh Institute executive killed in crash in central Fresno

Fresno Bee

One person died after their vehicle struck a PG&E cable in west-central Fresno on Sunday. The woman was identified as Guddi Sidhu, a television and radio host in the Sikh community who served on the executive board of the Sikh Institute in Fresno.

 

Judge allows Devin Nunes to sue Twitter, fake cow in Virginia court

Fresno Bee

Rep. Devin Nunes can sue social media giant Twitter in Virginia, a judge ruled this week when he rejected the San Francisco company’s argument that the California congressman should not be able to pursue a lawsuit against it in the southern state.

See also:

 

South SJ Valley:

 

Long-awaited Bakersfield veterans clinic put on hold — again

Bakersfield Californian

After repeated questions regarding the current status of the outpatient clinic, VA spokesman Damian McGee strongly suggested in an email that the plan announced last year was dead.

 

City to ditch online payment system that was breached twice by hackers

Bakersfield Californian

The city of Bakersfield is ending its relationship with the company that provides its online payment service after two breaches within about a year exposed the data of thousands of customers.

 

Rep. McCarthy urges feds to keep Taft Correctional Institution open

KGET

Congressman and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is urging the Department of Justice and the Board of Prisons to keep the Taft Correctional Institution open which is scheduled to close at the end of January.

 

Price: McCarthy needs to catch a different train while he can

Bakersfield Californian

McCarthy's loyalty to Trump won't cost him in Bakersfield, where the Democratic Party knows better than to bother funding a 23rd Congressional District opponent, but it may well cost him in an area that many politicians do and should care about: their legacies.

 

Pay-TV dispute squeezes local stations, viewers

Bakersfield Californian

Similar to what happened in AT&T's recent standoff with KGET owner Nexstar Media Group, the two sides are blaming each other for refusing to budge on financial terms. And things have already gotten ugly.

 

State:

 

Survey: Californians growing more pessimistic

Stockton Record

Californians are increasingly pessimistic about the future of the state and are more worried about housing and homelessness than ever before. And at least according to one major poll, they’re beginning to take it out on Gavin Newsom and the Democratic state Legislature.

 

Group gathers signatures at State Capitol for recall of Gov. Newsom

KCRA

Crowds gathered at the State Capitol on Saturday to bring attention to two efforts to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom. Although there have been dozens of efforts to recall California governors over the years, only one has been successful. Gray Davis was recalled in 2003.

See also:

 

California’s new privacy law could cost companies a total of $55 billion to get in compliance

CNBC

A report found firms may have to pay up to $55 billion in initial compliance costs as a result of California’s new privacy bill. If signed into law by California’s Democratic governor this month, the law will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2020.

See also:

 

California Models How To Banish Gerrymandering—And Why That’s So Hard

Capital Public Radio

The shrunken pool of applicants for the next panel, which will draw lines after the 2020 census, skews more white and male than the state. Latinos are particularly underrepresented.

 

Walters: The darker side of regulation

CalMatters

In a larger sense, however, AB 1133 is a prime example of what one might call the darker side of liberal governance, a belief that the public interest is served by regulation of even the most mundane human activities.

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Commentary: California-Mexico relations are strong. This bill can help make them stronger

CalMatters

Gov. Gavin Newsom can help improve that vital relationship by signing Senate Bill 558. It’s a bill that will grant official recognition to the importance of our close proximity and shared values, which have resulted in one of the strongest economic, cultural, and social regions in the world.

 

EDITORIAL: Trump Governs by Grudge in California

New York Times

Californians don’t vote for Trump, and he’s showing them what he can do about it. For the last few weeks, Mr. Trump has been deep into retaliation mode, occasionally for reasons of policy, more often out of pique.

 

Federal:

 

Trump administration opens California to new oil drilling

San Francisco Chronicle

The Trump administration’s latest effort to dramatically boost oil and gas production is landing in California, with the Interior Department on Friday opening up 720,000 acres between the Bay Area and Fresno to potential drilling.

See also:

 

Second whistleblower emerges in Trump impeachment inquiry, said to be one of ‘multiple’ complainants

Fresno Bee

A second whistleblower has come forward in the fast-developing impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump, and more may be in the offing, raising the possibility of damaging new disclosures as people in proximity to the president begin to provide evidence.

See also:

 

Supreme Court term to begin with blockbuster question: Is it legal to fire someone for being gay or transgender?

Washington Post

This is one of the most consequential issues of the term, with more than 70 friend-of-the-court briefs dividing states, religious orders and members of Congress. More than 200 of the nation’s largest employers are supporting the workers.

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Public Expresses Favorable Views of a Number of Federal Agencies

Pew Research

Despite historically low levels of public trust in the federal government, Americans across the political spectrum continue to overwhelmingly express favorable opinions of a number of individual federal agencies, including the Postal Service, the National Park Service, NASA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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Elections 2020:

 

An early look at California’s ballot measures for 2020

Los Angeles Times

But compared with prior presidential cycles, the list of statewide initiatives with a real shot of being on the 2020 ballot is surprisingly small. And if that’s going to change, time is running out.

 

How, when to watch the fourth Democratic presidential debate

abc30

Twelve Democratic candidates will gather at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio, on Oct. 15 for the fourth debate hosted by CNN and The New York Times.

 

Silicon Valley can’t escape the glare of the presidential race

Los Angeles Times

Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s treatise calling on California to crack down on gig economy companies probably did not surprise many executives in the corner of corporate America she derisively calls Big Tech.

 

What California Knows About Tom Steyer

Capital Public Radio

For decades, Steyer has played at the edges of electoral politics as money man and activist. Having amassed a fortune in finance, he’s plowed more cash into the political system than nearly any other American while launching his own crusades, which have alternately aided and frustrated Democrats.

 

Why Kamala Harris is flailing with California voters

Los Angeles Times

In part, the poor standing reflects problems that have plagued Harris nationwide: uneven debate performances, a shifting stance on issues and, perhaps above all, the lack of a clear and compelling message.

See also:

 

O’Rourke looks past early primary states with Arizona rally

Fresno Bee

Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke took his calls for tough gun laws and inclusive immigration policies to Arizona Sunday, looking well beyond the early primary states as he campaigned in a conservative but changing region.

 

Bernie Sanders raises $25 million in third quarter. Pete Buttigieg gets $19 million

Los Angeles Times

Bernie Sanders reported Tuesday that he raised $25.3 million during the third fundraising quarter, the largest three-month sum a Democratic White House hopeful has posted all year and an amount that ensures he will be an enduring presence in the primary.

See also:

 

Elizabeth Warren needs to connect with Latino voters. Does she have a plan for that?

Los Angeles Times

Warren has consistently lagged in polls behind former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders with Latino voters, even as she has pulled even or at times surpassed her better-known rivals among voters overall.

 

Trump’s Online Fundraising Surges

Wall Street Journal

President Trump’s 2020 re-election effort raised $45 million online in the third quarter on a surge of small-dollar donations driven by 313,000 first-time donors, campaign officials said.

See also:

 

Doctors, Once GOP Stalwarts, Now More Likely to Be Democrats

Wall Street Journal

The historic shift, driven by changes in business of medicine and women entering profession, comes with overall movement of college-educated people to Democratic Party

 

Other:

 

Bridging the digital divide in California

CalMatters

But the troubling reality is that more than a quarter of California homes are still without wireline broadband internet, and, of these homes that do not subscribe, the majority are low-income, less educated, African American or Latino.

 

Most Americans are wary of industry-funded research

Pew Research

A majority of Americans are skeptical of the impact that industry funding has on scientific research and on the recommendations made by practitioners, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey.

See also:

 

For Some Native Americans, No Home Address Might Mean No Voting

Pew Trusts

County by county, election administrators must know exactly where voters live to assign accurate precincts, which then determine which ballot a voter receives, which offices she votes for and at which polling location she casts a ballot.

 

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Sunday, October 13, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Assessing State Policies on Climate Change” – Guest: Ross Brown, Legislative Analyst’s Office. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, October 6, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “Climate Change Generally and Air Pollution Locally” – Guests: Will Barrett, Director of Advocacy, Clean Air for the American Lung Association in California and Samir Sheikh, Executive Director of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, October 6, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Workers Comp Fraud” – Invitado: Margarita Fernandez, PIO State Auditor's Office. Presentado Por: Coordinadora del Programa del Maddy Institute, Maria Jeans.

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

Way out past Denair, a family farms in a way that could help save the planet

Modesto Bee

The family has curtailed the carbon emissions, from tractors and other sources, that have contributed to a general rise in global temperatures. And they have other practices that capture carbon in the soil and plant tissue.

 

Foster Farms wins bid for Zacky Farms remnant

Business Journal

In a compromise settlement between the lender companies in the Zacky Farms bankruptcy, California’s largest poultry producer, Foster Farms, has won the bidding to acquire 19 former Zacky Farms ranches in the Central Valley.

 

California wineries, fearing recession, cut grape output. Farmers are worried

San Francisco Chronicle

Normally, a range of local wineries, under multiyear contracts, buy his Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. But after last year’s harvest, Johnson began to worry when no winery clients renewed their contracts.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

How Far Will California Take Criminal-Justice Reform?

New Yorker

Chesa Boudin, a thirty-nine-year-old Rhodes Scholar and a graduate of Yale Law School, is currently a public defender in San Francisco and a leader in the movement to abolish money bail.

 

Public Safety:

 

Rep. McCarthy urges feds to keep Taft Correctional Institution open

KGET

Congressman and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is urging the Department of Justice and the Board of Prisons to keep the Taft Correctional Institution open which is scheduled to close at the end of January.

 

California voters are divided over bail reform, poll finds

Los Angeles Times

California voters are sharply divided over the future of cash bail in a new statewide poll, although a slight plurality supports a new law to replace the system with one that would allow more defendants to be released before trial.

 

Fire:

 

Governor approves $12M to replace fire services radio equipment across Stanislaus

Modesto Bee

The Stanislaus County Office of Emergency Services is set to receive $12 million in one-time funding to upgrade radios and improve radio communications infrastructure.

 

PG&E cuts power over wildfire risk in Northern California

Fresno Bee

Pacific Gas and Electric says it has cut power to about 10,300 customers in Northern California because of potential fire danger. The utility says the outages could last 48 hours or longer.

See also:

 

California ignores the science as it OKs more homes in wildfire zones, researchers say

Los Angeles Times

An emerging body of scientific research on patterns of homes destroyed by fire suggests the state’s approach may be ignoring one of the most crucial elements for keeping people safe and limiting wildfire ignition sources.

See also:

 

ECONOMY / JOBS

 

Economy:

 

Fewer Valley people are in ‘poverty.’ But low wages mean many still can’t make ends meet

Fresno Bee

The number of people considered by the federal government to be in “poverty” in Fresno County and much of the central San Joaquin Valley last year was lower than it was in 2010. But Valley counties continue to be plagued by higher rates of poverty than most of the rest of California.

See also:

 

In Stockton, Early Clues Emerge About Impact of Guaranteed Income

City Lab

Eight months into the 18-month project, researchers have released preliminary data about who’s participating, what they’re spending the money on, and how raising the income floor can change the entire structure of a life.

See also:

 

PG&E to pay $65M over claims it falsified records

abc30

California's Pacific Gas and Electric Co. has agreed to pay $65 million to settle claims it falsified records and misrepresented how quickly it responded to excavators' requests to locate and mark gas pipelines.

 

McFeatters: Economy could be what does in Trump

Stockton Record

When the history of the Trump presidency is written, impeachment proceedings may be the least salient fact. Economists now are speculating that Donald Trump may be the first U.S. president to start a recession because of his unrelenting trade wars.

See also:

 

Jobs:

 

After college payroll fiasco, Gavin Newsom signs law requiring UC to pay staff on time

Sacramento Bee

The law comes more than a year after UC employees, including many students, began reporting skipped or late paychecks as a result of errors attributable to the implementation of the new human resources system UCPath, which has cost the university system around $500 million to implement.

 

Uber, Lyft warn they’ll take the fight over drivers’ status to California voters

Los Angeles Times

In the face of a looming deadline, Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. are throwing new weight and tens of millions of dollars behind their fight to keep treating drivers as independent contractors in California.

 

Erie Hit ‘Rock Bottom.’ The Former Factory Hub Thinks It Has a Way Out.

Wall Street Journal

The Pennsylvania city aims to plow $150 million from mix of public, private sources to rebuild blighted downtown; ‘We might not have another chance.’

 

Labor force nonparticipation: Trends, causes, and policy solutions

Brookings

Over the last two decades the U.S. labor force participation rate has fallen. While the relatively strong job market since 2014 has led to rising participation for some groups, the overall participation rate remains well below its peak even after adjusting for aging

See also:

●     Monthly jobs report: Beyond the headlines AEI

●     U.S. Unemployment Hit 50-Year Low in September Wall Street Journal

●     The alarming employment trends that the jobs report won't tell you CNN

●     EDITORIAL: A Sigh of Jobs Relief Wall Street Journal

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

O’Farrell gives State of the District at CUSD Superintendent’s Breakfast

Clovis Roundup

Thus far, the report shows they have been on target and in the right direction, ensuring the success of Clovis students. Since the state’s new testing methods were implemented five years ago, Clovis Unified scores have steadily increased every year on assessments in math and English/Language Arts.

 

‘Gender neutral’ student crowned homecoming queen at Clovis East

Fresno Bee

But in a city and in a school district known for having conservative views, a teenage boy beating out three teen girls for the prestigious tiara might’ve generated some eye rolls.

 

With new CA charter school rules official, here’s the latest on incoming K-12 laws

CalMatters

Tough new charter school regulations have been signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, as expected, but other big K-12 proposals are TBD, including a statewide bond measure, maternity leave for teachers and a later morning bell.

See also:

 

Higher Ed:

 

CSUB's Kegley Institute of Ethics continues to engage campus, Bakersfield community after 33 years

Bakersfield Californian

When was the last time you thought about the ethical implications of a decision you were about to make? More importantly, when was the last time you thought about ethics at all?

 

Dr. Bradley Hart awarded Sybil Halpern Milton Memorial Book Prize

Fresno State News

The German Studies Association announced that the book "Hitler's American Friends: The Third Reich's Supporters in the United States” by associate professor Dr. Bradley Hart has was awarded the Sybil Halpern Milton Memorial Book Prize.

 

Higher Education in California

Public Policy Institute of California

Higher education is a key driver of economic growth and individual opportunity in California. But the state has not been keeping up with a strong and growing demand for skilled workers.

See:

 

Will CA’s new NCAA law be a game changer? Here are 5 things to know next

CalMatters

A new state law letting NCAA athletes strike endorsement deals has been signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. But what does that mean in the short term?

 

California’s latest undergrad project? More aid for campus moms and dads

CalMatters

California has increased awards to up $6,000 for UC, Cal State and community college students with children, but delays and funding limitations are making it clear that for “nontraditional” students, more must be done.

 

Debate underway whether University of California should require SAT and ACT for admissions

EdSource

There is a lot of uncertainty and even anxiety about what the University of California will do with its current requirement that all freshman applicants take the SAT or ACT exam. Should such tests be dropped altogether, overhauled or replaced by other exams?

 

Apprenticeships:

 

After decades of pushing bachelor’s degrees, U.S. needs more tradespeople

PBS

Now California is spending $6 million on a campaign to revive the reputation of vocational education, and $200 million to improve the delivery of it.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

The next big California vs. Trump fight is over water and endangered species

Fresno Bee

The next few months will provide an answer, as Newsom is forced to take a stand on Trump rollbacks in a long-contested battleground – the Northern California delta that helps supply more than half the state's population with drinking water and fills irrigation canals on millions of acres of farmland.

 

'Once they're gone, they're gone': the fight to save the giant sequoia

The Guardian

A conservation group plans to buy the largest privately owned sequoia grove as the climate crisis threatens the species’ future.

 

Energy:

 

Trump administration opens California to new oil drilling; possibly Bay Area, too

San Francisco Chronicle

The Trump administration’s latest effort to dramatically boost oil and gas production is landing in California, with the Interior Department on Friday opening up 720,000 acres between the Bay Area and Fresno to potential drilling.

See also:

The Home of California’s Dirtiest Air Braces for Trump’s Smog War City Lab

 

EDITORIAL: Mystery California gas charge costing families $1,800 yearly

Mercury News

With California gas prices rising, it’s time for state officials to solve the mystery of an unexplained gas surcharge motorists have been paying for at least four years.

See also:

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

New laws could help first responders with daily trauma, mental health issues

Bakersfield Californian

After Gov. Gavin Newsom on Oct. 1 signed into law three bills focusing on first responders' mental health, firefighters and law enforcement officers alike will have more resources to ensure their mental health is a priority.

See also:

 

Vaping deaths shine light on California’s dark cannabis underworld

Mercury News

As health officials search for the missing link between vaping and a mysterious illness, California’s cannabis community is blaming untested products and devices sold to unsuspecting consumers on the state’s sprawling black market.

See also:

 

Identifying developmental delays is target of new California law

EdSource

The new law, Assembly Bill 1004, requires doctors to screen children enrolled in Medi-Cal for developmental delays using surveys recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and at three specific times — 9 months, 18 months and 30 months.

 

Australia Just Had a Bad Flu Season. That May Be a Warning for the U.S.

New York Times

Australia had an unusually early and fairly severe flu season this year. Since that may foretell a serious outbreak on its way in the United States, public health experts now are urging Americans to get their flu shots as soon as possible.

 

Kaweah Delta CEO guest column: Hospital's No. 1 goal is patient safety

Visalia Times Delta

At Kaweah Delta, we are always working to provide the highest level of care to our patients. Our new mission statement reads, “Health is our passion. Excellence is our focus. Compassion is our promise.”

 

Human Services:

 

A pregnant, sick mother was mistakenly kicked off Medi-Cal. Experts say she’s not alone

Fresno Bee

Experts and government officials say problems such as this continue to occur throughout the state, and are often connected to outdated and disparate computer enrollment systems.

See also:

 

If long-term care insurance costs too much, you have a choice to make

Los Angeles Times

Many people are in the same unfortunate situation. They purchased policies because they thought it was the prudent thing to do, only to face the possibility of losing coverage as premiums continued to rise.

See also:

 

Lawmakers take aim at ‘punitive’ child support payback for low-income families

CalMatters

Critics have long argued that California's child support payback system for families using public assistance disproportionately affects low-income people and can drive a wedge between children and their parents. Now, two bills on Governor Gavin Newsom's desk could change the system.

 

The Sackler family is trying to shield billions in opioid profits through Purdue Pharma bankruptcy, states say

Washington Post

The vast wealth of the Sackler family was thrust into the spotlight Friday in Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy case, as two dozen states and the District of Columbia sought to block the family from winning a nine-month reprieve against OxyContin lawsuits.

 

Did California’s Health Dept. Help Lobbyists Fight Lead Bill?

Capita & Main

Our investigation found that the CDPH’s amicable relationship with lobbyists isn’t confined to the battery industry and raises questions about the agency’s commitment to protecting public health.

 

Walters: A trifecta for children?

CalMatters

Having acted twice to protect children, Newsom now has the opportunity for a trifecta by signing Senate Bill 328, which would mandate later starting times for middle- and high-school classes, as virtually every children’s-health organization recommends to battle sleep deprivation.

See also:

 

The U.S. Wastes 25% of Its Healthcare Spending, With up to $935 Billion Lost Every Year

Newsweek

American healthcare is the most expensive in the world, but as much as a quarter of medical spending is being wasted. It's a figure that amounts to costs of $760 billion to $935 billion per year.

 

EDITORIAL: Pelosi’s Expensive Drug Bill

Wall Street Journal

With impeachment in high gear, Democrats may not have time or interest to legislate. This is just as well on drug prices, where Nancy Pelosi has proposed price controls and President Trump cheered her on.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

From Laos to America: Hmong family finds refuge in U.S.

Business Journal

It’s easy to imagine Lor Xiong-Roby was born and raised here in California. But the 42-year-old Hmong interpreter’s childhood wasn’t nearly that idyllic. She was born in Laos, the daughter of Hmong farmers.

 

Immigrant-Visa Applicants Required to Show They Can Afford Health Care

Wall Street Journal

The White House issued a presidential proclamation on Friday night requiring many future immigrant visa applicants to show they can afford health care, a move that could make it harder for poor migrants to enter the U.S.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

Video: Newest Bitwise building downtown opens for a preview to the public

Fresno Bee

Get a tour of the latest Bitwise Industries building as Bitwise | 41 opens to the public Friday, Oct. 4, 2019 in Fresno.

 

Housing:

 

Thousands of California seniors are 'one disaster away' from homelessness. What can the state do?

abc30

Homelessness experts say California’s low-income seniors are especially vulnerable because of the state's housing affordability crisis: With fixed income and high rent prices, an illness or job loss can quickly put them on the streets.

 

California’s Poorest Big City Faces a Different Kind of Housing Crisis

City Lab

Housing costs have been a relative bargain in inland cities like Fresno. But a sharp rise in rental costs is making life less affordable for low-income families.

 

Developers offer new homes in Modesto area. But will it relieve the housing shortage?

Modesto Bee

Today, there is a limited selection of newly built homes for first-time or other potential buyers in the Modesto area. And the prices are out of reach for many saddled with increasing rent payments for an apartment or house.

 

California’s housing crisis is displacing renters. What can be done to protect them?

Sacramento Bee

The brutal combination of a widespread housing shortage, skyrocketing rents, increased income inequality and rapidly spreading homelessness has created a crisis that touches the lives of every Californian, but most harshly impacts the state’s most vulnerable residents.

 

Black people disproportionately homeless in California

CalMatters

In Monterey County, the percentage of black or African American people who are homeless is more than seven times higher than the county’s black population. It is nearly six times higher at the state level.

 

Rent control could be back on the California ballot in 2020

Los Angeles Times

Proponents and opponents of rent control are prepping for another California ballot fight next year after the sponsor of a failed 2018 initiative was cleared to begin collecting signatures for a second try.

See also:

 

Walters: Can a new agency crack the housing nut?

CalMatters

An increasingly complex state, it was argued, needed broader attention to issues that crossed city limits and county lines, such as air pollution, transportation and water supply. Over the last half-century, regionalism has taken two forms.

See also:

 

Graham: A few suggestions for helping the unhoused in Modesto and Stanislaus County

Modesto Bee

The term homeless carries a lot of negative connotations. Many people believe the homeless are criminals, drug addicts or mentally ill, and some are. However, the rising cost of living, underemployment, and lack of good-paying jobs also contribute.

 

EDITORIAL: Here’s one thing we don’t need to fight homelessness: A state of emergency declaration

Los Angeles Times

Casting about for solutions, some officials in L.A. County are calling on California Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency on homelessness. But that’s not a solution. It’s a press release.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

Public banks can be formed in California: Newsom signs new law

Los Angeles Times

California cities and counties will be allowed to establish public banks under a controversial bill signed into law Wednesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom, making California only the second U.S. state to allow such institutions.

 

California retirees voted in an expensive election at CalPERS. Here’s who won

Sacramento Bee

About 116,000 of the roughly 600,000 CalPERS retirees in the state voted, according to the results. Members voted online, by phone and by mail from Aug. 30 to Sept. 30.

 

Prop 13 treats all California property taxes the same. Voters could change that in 2020

Los Angeles Times

No brand in California politics has ever had the staying power of Proposition 13, the 1978 tax cut that served as a primal scream from angry voters and became a symbol of their reluctance to pay more money for more government services.

 

Fed chairman says goal is to keep economy in ‘good place’

Fresno Bee

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Friday that the U.S. economy is facing some risks at the moment, but overall it is in a "good place" and the Fed's main job is to "keep it there as long as possible."

 

Social Security Debate Shifts From Benefit Cuts to Bigger Checks

Wall Street Journal

Instead, President Trump has ruled out cuts to future benefits. Democrats have lined up behind larger benefits and higher taxes. Democrats’ proposals show a party growing more comfortable with tax increases and shifting away from trying to reduce budget deficits.

 

The Rich Really Do Pay Lower Taxes Than You

New York Times

For the first time on record, the 400 wealthiest Americans last year paid a lower total tax rate — spanning federal, state and local taxes — than any other income group, according to newly released data.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

Stuebbe: Why are those buses sitting idle? Rethink how we get kids to school

Bakersfield Californian

Urban areas where students and schools are concentrated commonly avoid the inefficiency of having idle buses during the school day. They avoid the cost of acquiring and maintaining all those buses and the labor costs of specialized employees to act as drivers.

 

The women behind California’s landmark vehicle emissions law

CalMatters

President Trump’s blood feud with California over its authority to set its own clean air standards brings to mind the state’s embryonic fight against noxious smog in the 1960s, when the Golden State first imposed anti-pollution requirements on automakers.

 

In California, a "disturbing" gap in what drivers pay for car insurance

CBS

Auto insurers commonly offer rate discounts to white-collar professionals in rich neighborhoods, but deny those benefits to people of color in low-income areas, California regulators say.

 

Modernizing Fremont Boulevard to Be Smart and Safe

Cities Speak

In 2015, The Fremont Vision Zero Status Report and Action Plan reported that 50% of the city’s fatalities occurred on segments of Fremont Boulevard.

 

2019 California Speeding and Aggressive Driving Study

Ewald & Wasserman

32.1% of all respondents have seen a crash caused by speeding drivers in the past 12 months on California freeways, compared to 25.2% in 2015, a significant increase of 6.9% since 2015.

 

EDITORIAL: Questions of unethical dealing hit high-speed rail. But don’t stop construction in Fresno

Fresno Bee

For one thing, federal funding was already committed to the project for construction in the Valley. The authority has to stay focused on the Valley to fulfill that requirement. Total cost supported by Gov. Gavin Newsom: $20 billion.

See also:

 

WATER

 

Success Dam renamed after Tulare County water official ahead of expansion

abc30

Success Dam is now Richard L. Schafer Dam. The dam, which has shielded the San Joaquin Valley floor from Sierra snowmelt while providing much-needed irrigation water to Tulare County farmers since 1961, was rechristened in a crowded ceremony along Lake Success last week.

 

Henry: Groundwater overdraft numbers ‘don’t add up,’ and that’s a big problem

Bakersfield Californian

San Joaquin Valley farmers have pumped the basin’s groundwater so furiously and for so long that parts of the valley are sinking, endangering roads and bridges and even breaking one of the main canals that brings in water to support local agriculture.

 

Western: With booming reservoirs, what is the real culprit in California’s water scare?

The Sun

While our major reservoirs are in good shape just ahead of another winter, we still see headlines about fish near extinction, human feces and chemicals in our rivers and waterways, contaminated groundwater, subsidence, harm to disadvantaged communities, and water allocations to farmers that make zero sense.

 

“Xtra”

 

Modesto’s restaurant scene sees changes, and Turlock favorite closes for good

Modesto Bee

Three popular valley restaurant, including some longtime favorites, are making big changes this fall. In downtown Modesto, the newly opened Food Fix Butcher & Baker on 11th Street has already become a hot lunch spot since opening in August.

 

California Pizza Kitchen to hold anti-bullying fundraiser Monday

Bakersfield Californian

In honor of World Day of Bullying Prevention, STOMP Out Bullying and California Pizza Kitchen will team up for a nationwide fundraiser Monday.

 

Stanislaus County employee’s tiny, hole-covering felt creations are Instagram hits

Modesto Bee

A 6-inch square on the floor of an office in the Tenth Street Place city-county building in downtown Modesto has become the de facto home of Wonky Felt, a tiny art installation that changes with every workday.

 

The wait is over: Five Restaurant open for business

Business Journal

Owner Pat LaRocca says now the “Italian fare with California flair” restaurant is open for business after a fire forced the north Fresno eatery to close for just over a year.

 

A play examining ‘Children of the Dust Bowl’ is coming to a Gallo Center stage

Modesto Bee

The Gallo Center Repertory Company is staging “Children of the Dust Bowl,” a 1930s experience that still resonates in the Modesto area.

 

Apartments in the old jail? Artist renderings show ideas for downtown Modesto

Modesto Bee

Five days of brainstorming about the future of downtown Modesto ended with bold ideas for housing and other attractions. How about turning the courthouse and adjacent jail into three stories of apartments? Or a new ballpark for the Modesto Nuts along a Tenth Street promenade to the Tuolumne River?

 

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

 

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

                                                     

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