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Political Briefs
Top stories
CD21: Valadao, Renteria differences murky – For voters looking beyond party labels, the choice — at least on the surface — appears difficult. The reason is that on water and immigration reform, which are the two most pressing district issues, both Amanda Renteria and David Valadao sound similar. Fresno Bee article
Dan Walters: Taxes on the rich closed the state budget deficit – With income taxes now two-thirds of general state revenue, it means one-percenters are financing over a third of the budget’s spending on schools, colleges, prisons and health and welfare programs for the other 99 percent. Walters column in Sacramento Bee
Statewide politics/Ballot Measures
Maryann McGovran and Rick Farinelli: Prop 48 would right wrongs – McGovran, vice chair of the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians, and Madera County Supervisor Farinelli write, “Voting Yes on Proposition 48 and reaffirming Gov. Jerry Brown’s tribal gaming compacts — already ratified by the Legislature, including every Madera County delegation member — is not only vital for job creation in one of California’s poorest regions, but it also rights a historical wrong at no cost to taxpayers.” McGovran/Farinelli op-ed in Fresno Bee
Sacramento Bee: Prop 45 would undermine the Affordable Care Act, which is reason to oppose it – There is no reason to pile on a new layer bureaucracy envisioned by Proposition 45, and subject the health care law to more litigation and threats to its existence. Sacramento Bee editorial
Other areas
Sacramento Bee: Steinberg leaves after 14 years in the Legislature, not a bad run – In a business filled with self-promoters and poseurs, Darrell Steinberg was neither. In a Capitol where news releases often pass for policy, Steinberg brought about significant change. Sacramento Bee editorial
Dan Morain: Tom McClintock should have no fear of losing re-electing, except this is a weird year – Theories don’t win elections. It will come down to money and the candidate who does the best of job of turning out voters. Turnout probably will fall below 50 percent. That probably will benefit McClintock, whose supporters vote reliably. Morain column in Sacramento Bee
North Korea sentences U.S. citizen Matthew Todd Miller to six years hard labor – North Korea sentenced U.S. citizen Matthew Todd Miller to six years hard labor for committing “hostile acts” as a tourist to the country, a statement carried by state media said on Sunday. Reuters article
News Briefs
Top Stories
Temperance Flat Reservoir: It’s getting serious – For decades, federal water leaders have flirted with a larger version of Millerton Lake, northeast of Fresno, but money and politics always kept them apart. Suddenly, this affair is getting serious. A federal study this year shows that a $2.6 billion reservoir, called Temperance Flat, pencils out. Now for the first time, there’s a draft environmental impact statement, citing options to make this work. Fresno Bee article
Demand, costs on the rise for long-term elder care – It’s no secret: None of us are getting any younger, and more people who are growing old are living longer than ever before. But what most of us tend to shove to the back of our minds is the cost of getting old — a price tag that only gets bigger with each passing year beyond retirement age. Fresno Bee article
Jobs and the Economy
Masten Space: From start-up to serious player – The company, which began as a start-up in 2004, is surrounded by other aerospace firms, some with deep pockets, billionaire backers and huge, gleaming facilities. Masten’s shop, in contrast, could be mistaken for your dad’s garage — if it weren’t for the three rockets inside, being worked on by young engineers eager to be part of what they believe is a revolution in commercial space research and transportation. Bakersfield Californian article
Modesto Bee: Relying on sales taxes to fund civic services is risky – Sales tax increases such as those proposed in Turlock and Oakdale have become increasingly necessary for local governments. Across the state, there are a record 46 on the ballot this November – perhaps demonstrating their importance. Knowing that, we think the strategy of relying on sales taxes to fund civic services and priorities is risky and ultimately counterproductive. Modesto Bee editorial
Modesto Bee: Vote yes on Turlock’s Measure B – In Turlock, fixing potholes is enough. Vote yes on Measure B. Modesto Bee editorial
Modesto Bee: Oakdale’s Measure Y raises sales tax – If the city of Oakdale is going to dig its way out from under some poor spending decisions made before the Great Recession, voters must pass Measure Y. Modesto Bee editorial
Michael Fitzgerald: Visiting the maternity ward of downtown Stockton’s rebirth – For years, many downtown buildings were about as lively as ancient New Mexico cliff dwellings. But many of those long-vacant pueblos are stirring with new tenants. Fourteen businesses recently opened downtown. I visited three. I wanted to meet the entrepreneurs, see their businesses and gauge whether, as it seems, downtown’s spaces are slowly but surely refilling. Fitzgerald column in Stockton Record
ADA workshop offered to help companies – A two-hour morning workshop aimed at helping businesses avoid disability access lawsuits will be held Sept. 25 in Modesto. Four people and their attorneys have filed more than 50 lawsuits against companies in Stanislaus and Merced counties, all claiming that premises violate ADA requirements. The federal law, enacted in 1990, is bolstered by companion legislation unique to California that makes legal challenges much more profitable in this state. Modesto Bee article
Stama looking to expand facilities and presence in Lodi – Gus Kapiniaris is busy these days. The 73-year-old Greek immigrant, who has been growing grapes in San Joaquin County since the 1980s, is on the cusp of moving his Stama Winery to a 10-acre facility in Lodi from a cramped tasting room and part-time office in Lockeford. Stockton Record article
Is Sacramento destined for an MLS team? Handicappers like the city’s chances – Backed by a nascent ownership group and a passionate fan base that has earned national attention, Sacramento has emerged as a front-runner in the heated competition to land what might be the last available expansion spot in Major League Soccer for years to come. Sacramento Bee article
Agriculture/Water/Drought
Drones may provide big lift to agriculture when FAA allows their use – The big boom in unmanned aircraft may come from what’s known as precision agriculture — using high-tech systems to help farmers increase yields and cut costs. LA Times article
In drought, ‘pop-up’ wetlands provide bird habitat – For the swirling flock of migrating shorebirds banking to a landing in California’s Central Valley, a recently flooded rice field is providing a new kind of triage station during a drought that’s drastically reducing places where they can rest on their long journeys. AP article
John Moir: Living the water-rationing life – The award-winning environmental journalist writes, “As another disappointing rainy season drew to a close this spring, I began a new household chore. I walked across the parched and withered remnants of our front lawn and used a hefty screwdriver to lift the concrete cover off our water meter box. Brushing aside the cobwebs, I recorded the latest numbers from the analog dial. It’s a task that I have repeated every week or two throughout the summer. Here in Santa Cruz, tracking our water consumption has become a serious matter. Compulsory water rationing began in May.” Moir op-ed in Bakersfield Californian
Elaine Corn: California sets off international skirmish on olive oil standards – California has incited an international skirmish over how the state’s olive oil industry would prefer to measure the quality of its product. The new Olive Oil Commission of California, representing most of the state’s olive oil production, has proposed standards for quality and purity that exceed those of Europe and the USDA. Corn in Sacramento Bee
Criminal Justice/Prisons
Support for death penalty in California at lowest point in 50 years – After a series of botched executions raised questions about the use of capital punishment across the United States, support for the death penalty in California is nearing an all-time low among state voters, according to the findings of a research poll released Friday. LA Times article
Defining cases: The good, the bad and the notorious – Steve E. Swenson covered crime and courts for The Californian for 33 years. We recently asked him to list the 10 most memorable cases of his journalism career. In typical fashion, he gave us 11. We’ll share one a day online. Today: Vincent Brothers, 41, was the respected vice principal of Fremont Elementary School on July 6, 2003, when five members of his family were shot or stabbed to death. Bakersfield Californian article
Education
State study finds younger kids absent more, with black students and poor kids missing the most – A new survey of truancy in California elementary schools links race and poverty to missing lots of school. The study also found the highest number of absences happen in kindergarten and first grade – the years students learn to read. Modesto Bee article
Push to split Fresno Unified resurfaces – A plan to break Fresno Unified into two school districts has new life after two years of work by a collection of business people determined to start a public debate on the topic — and eventually get a measure on the ballot. Fresno Bee article
Manteca Unified to spend $30 million buying computers for all, kindergarten through high school – Every student in the Manteca Unified School District will be getting a tablet-style laptop in early 2015 thanks to a $30 million launch into the digital age. Modesto Bee article
Fresno State communications professor honored by fraternity – Fresno State Mass Communication and Journalism Professor Betsy Hays was named as one of the top 10 outstanding faculty members from a pool of 110 nominees submitted by Kappa Alpha Theta fraternity chapters through the United States and Canada. Fresno Bee article
Energy/Environment
Meadow fire grows slightly, still 50 percent contained – About 535 firefighters are still battling Yosemite’s Meadow fire, which grew another 27 acres and totaled 4,960 acres Saturday. The cable ladder to the top of Half Dome reopened Saturday as planned, but a number of trails and campsites near the fire remain closed. Firefighters estimate containment at 50% and hope to have the blaze fully extinguished by Sept. 21. Fresno Bee article
Oil companies square off over sinkhole death – Neighboring oil producers in Kern County’s prolific Midway-Sunset Oil Field are waging a court battle over whose steam injections may have created the sinkhole that swallowed a 54-year-old grandfather on the first day of summer 2011. Bakersfield Californian article
Conflicts with Yosemite bears fall dramatically as people, bears learn new lessons – Today, in one of Yosemite’s most remarkable wildlife success stories, the bears are behaving better. Reports of bears damaging property or injuring people in the park have fallen 92 percent — from 1,584 in 1998 to 120 last year. And the number of bears that park officials have had to kill because they pose safety problems has fallen from about 10 a year in the 1990s to one or two a year now. Biologists say the long, slow turnaround came from an unlikely strategy — training the bears but, more importantly, training people. Contra Costa Times article
Health/Human Services
Sacramento County health report highlights STD’s, infant mortality, chronic disease – Sacramento’s over-60 population has more than doubled in the last decade, and Latino residents are living longer than any other group, according to Sacramento County’s latest Community Health Status Report. Sacramento Bee article
Lois Henry: We can’t be treating veterans the way Mike Cole was treated – As long as Congress is looking at the Veterans Administration’s health care problems, they oughta add Mike Cole to their list. His tale will raise the hair on the back of your neck. Not to mention your blood pressure. Henry column in Bakersfield Californian
Jeff Jardine: Wounded Vietnam vet fights West Nile – Craig Johnson traipsed through the jungles of Southeast Asia in 1969-70 as a combat infantryman during the Vietnam War. But nothing – not the North Vietnamese nor the bugs and venomous snakes of Vietnam – came as close to killing him as did a mosquito in the backyard of his home about a block from the post office in Oakdale. Jardine column in Modesto Bee
Considering surgery? Some healthcare providers offer warranties – Warranties have long been a consumer favorite. Manufacturers frequently offer them along with new cars, washing machines, television sets and many other appliances — often at an additional charge. They typically are an agreement between a buyer and a seller guaranteeing that the maker will repair or replace a defective product at no cost. But a warranty on the outcome of surgery? Increasingly, yes. LA Times article
Bed bug infestations on the rise – even in clean places – It’s time for bed bugs to come out from under the covers. The stigma surrounding bed bugs needs to go away. The idea that only dirty people or cluttered homes attract the biting parasites is a myth. Or that they only only in your bed. Or that they come out only at night. Wherever people congregate — apartments, mansions, doctors’ offices, dormitories, retirement homes — the blood-sucking pests are sure to follow. Stockton Record article
Matier and Ross: Dignity Health spends big at Levi’s Stadium – If you’re wondering why health care costs are going sky high, one reason may be the multimillion-dollar skyboxes that two of the Bay Area’s biggest “not-for-profit” insurers have bought at the 49ers’ new stadium. Blue Shield of California and Dignity Health each own Levi’s Stadium luxury suites, which go for at least $2.5 million apiece. Matier and Ross in San Francisco Chronicle
Transportation
Bakersfield Californian: Streets of Bakersfield haven’t been very safe – Should we shave 55 mph speed limits down to 45 mph for mini-expressways like Gosford and Old River roads? Do we need more DUI patrols? Automated cameras? Should we push for stiffer penalties for those who use mobile devices while driving? We must answer these questions if we are serious about saving lives on our roadways. Bakersfield Californian editorial
Other Areas
Navy calls off search for Lemoore pilot lost at sea after crash – The Lemoore Naval Air Station pilot who crashed in the western Pacific on Friday is presumed dead, the U.S. 7th Fleet said Saturday afternoon. The Navy has ended its search and rescue efforts. Fresno Bee article
Stockton Record: Gimme an S, gimme a T … – So, let’s see if we have this straight. The mayor of Stockton, who showed up at his first State of the City Address wearing a helmet, carrying a mace and imploring the city to be positive moving forward, now doesn’t want to be a cheerleader? C’mon, Mayor Anthony Silva. Stockton Record editorial
Mike Klocke: Pension spikes, residency, and library status – The Stockton Record’s editor shares his views on pension spikes, the need for candidates to do a residency re-check, and the status of the Stockton-San Joaquin Library system. Klocke column in Stockton Record
Pasadena repurposes parking meters to collect change for homeless – Fourteen repurposed parking meters across the city will collect change for nonprofits that serve the homeless. The meters, painted bright orange and decorated with smiley faces and inspirational sayings, are supposed to raise awareness for the city’s homeless programs. LA Times article
Corporal punishment widespread, but declining – Allegations that Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson injured one of his sons by spanking him with a tree branch are reviving a debate about corporal punishment in a country where it is on the decline but still widely practiced in homes and schools. AP article
Valley Editorial Roundup
Bakersfield Californian – Should we shave 55 mph speed limits down to 45 mph for mini-expressways like Gosford and Old River roads? Do we need more DUI patrols? Automated cameras? Should we push for stiffer penalties for those who use mobile devices while driving? We must answer these questions if we are serious about saving lives on our roadways.
Fresno Bee – The underground economy is never going away. There always will be those — particularly in the construction industry — who dodge taxes and safety regulations by bending rules or working strictly for cash.But you would think that on government projects, the rules would apply.
Modesto Bee – We think the strategy of relying on sales taxes to fund civic services and priorities is risky and ultimately counterproductive; In Turlock, fixing potholes is enough. Vote yes on Measure B; If the city of Oakdale is going to dig its way out from under some poor spending decisions made before the Great Recession, voters must pass Measure Y.
Sacramento Bee – In a business filled with self-promoters and poseurs, Darrell Steinberg was neither. In a Capitol where news releases often pass for policy, Steinberg brought aboutsignificant change; There is no reason to pile on a new layer bureaucracy envisioned by Proposition 45, and subject the health care law to more litigation and threats to its existence; The rich – and even richer – rule Congress.
Stockton Record – So, let’s see if we have this straight. The mayor of Stockton, who showed up at his first State of the City Address wearing a helmet, carrying a mace and imploring the city to be positive moving forward, now doesn’t want to be a cheerleader? C’mon, Mayor Anthony Silva.