COLUMNS
Home
The Sky is Falling
Code Pink
Homeland Insecurity
Fire & Brimstone
Occupied Kalifornia
Parallel Universe
Sci Tech
Human Zoo

Worksafe Color Codes

SPONSORS

Email Us

Santa Clara County Bans Fast Food Toy Giveaways

County officials in Silicon Valley trying to curb childhood obesity voted Tuesday to ban restaurants from giving away toys and other freebies that often come with high-calorie meals aimed at kids. The ordinance is largely symbolic as it would only cover unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County, meaning only about a dozen fast-food outlets and several other family-owned restaurants would be affected.

But its chief sponsor says it's still important because it paves the way for other areas to act, may spur action by fast-food chains to offer healthier choices and can help parents by taking away a child's incentive for wanting less healthy food. More

CARB’s punitive approach

Failing to file a report. That’s it. That’s all Nor-Cal Produce in West Sacramento did. And in late March it cost the small, family-run fruit and vegetable wholesaler $32,550.

“The California Air Resources Board [CARB] last month came to terms with a West Sacramento, Calif. produce company for $32,550 for failing to submit its TRU facility report,” stated a March 30, 2010 CARB press release which called the case a matter of “diesel emissions violations.” “ARB investigators found that NorCal Produce did not submit the required facility report by the 2006 deadline, as required by the transport refrigeration unit [TRU] air toxic control measure [ATCM].”

Of course, the company was actually facing $43,400 in penalties (or more) but qualified for a 25 percent discount because of, as CARB spokesman Dimitri Stanich put it, “cooperative actions on the part of the business.” More

California Mexican Americans protest students wearing American flag on Cinco de Mayo

The fallout is continuing in California following an incident in which five students were sent home for wearing shirts with the American on Cinco de Mayo Wednesday.

The incident happened at the Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, about an hour south of San Francisco.

On Thursday, May 6, about 50 students, many carrying the Mexican flag, walked out of classes. The students told reporters that they thought it was disrespectful for the students to wear the American flag on their shirts while others were celebrating Cinco de Mayo.

The school's principal claimed the students wearing the flag was a safety issue because it could spark fights between students.

Others called the school hypocritical because dozens of students wore the colors of the Mexican flag but they were not sent home. More

Marijuana legalization will be on California ballot

A California voter initiative that would legalize possession and sale of marijuana has qualified for the November ballot, state election officials said on Wednesday, in what supporters called a "watershed moment" for their cause.

Passage of the measure, by no means certain, would make California the first U.S. state to legalize marijuana.

Backers believe the state could be at the vanguard of a national movement toward decriminalizing the drug.

"This is a watershed moment in the decades-long struggle to end marijuana prohibition in this country," said Stephen Gutwillig, California director of the Drug Policy Alliance, which has spearheaded the ballot initiative.

"Banning marijuana outright has been a disaster, fueling a massive, increasingly brutal underground economy, wasting billions in scarce law enforcement resources and making criminals out of countless law-abiding citizens," he said. More

California 35th Among All States in Maternal Mortality

In releasing a new report on maternal health nationwide, Amnesty International today revealed that flaws and shocking disparities in maternal health care that the government is ignoring lead to two to three women dying daily in the United States from pregnancy-related complications, with half of these deaths believed preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A state-by-state examination shows that California is 35th on a maternal mortality ranking, with 11.3 deaths per 100,000 live births.

The new Amnesty International report, Deadly Delivery: The Maternal Health Care Crisis in the USA, also reveals that severe pregnancy-related complications that nearly cause death -- known as "near misses" -- are rising at an alarming rate, increasing by 25 percent since 1998; currently nearly 34,000 women annually experience a "near miss" during delivery. With a lifetime risk of maternal deaths that is greater than in 40 other countries, including virtually all of the industrialized countries, the United States has failed to reverse the two-decade upward trend in preventable maternal deaths, despite pledges to do so. More

Anti-Gay Cali Politician cited for DUI after leaving gay bar

An anti-gay California state senator was placed under arrest for drunk driving after leaving a gay bar. A male passenger was in the vehicle along with the lawmaker was not arrested, reported Sacramento CBS affiliate Channel 13.

State Sen. Roy Ashburn was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol at about 2:00 a.m. on March 3 when his state-issued vehicle was observed being driven erratically. The driver, identified as Ashburn, was taken in and charged for driving under the influence. Channel 13 reported that unidentified sources said the senator had been at Faces, a popular gay nightspot, prior to his arrest.

In a March 4 article, the online news site Talking Points Memo characterized Ashburn, who is married and has four children, as "a fierce opponent of gay rights" who had led anti-marriage equality rallies.

Ashburn issued a contrite apology, stating, "I am deeply sorry for my actions and offer no excuse for my poor judgment. I accept complete responsibility for my conduct and am prepared to accept the consequences for what I did." More

California’s Economy: Worse Than Originally Thought

The Great Recession’s impact on California’s job market is worse than analysts originally thought. The state has lost nearly 1.4 million jobs since the recession began in California in July 2007, according to revised data from the Employment Development Department.

That’s 339,000 more jobs lost than the data suggested prior to the recent revisions. If it’s hard to fathom this hole in the job market, consider this: Losing 1.4 million jobs is equivalent to losing the entire population of Sacramento County.

In fact, California now has about the same number of jobs as it did 11 years ago, when the state was home to 3.6 million fewer working-age individuals.

This means that the Great Recession has wiped out an entire decade of job growth, while the number of individuals who want jobs has continued to grow. More

State Senate Passes Medicare for All Legislation

To ecstatic applause from healthcare advocates, the California Senate today breathed new life into national prospects for fundamental health reform by passing on a 22 to 14 vote a major bill to guarantee healthcare in the state through creating a Medicare for all system that would cover every Californian.

SB 810, The California Universal Healthcare Act, authored by Sen. Mark Leno and sponsored by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU), with broad support among many healthcare, community, and labor groups, will now proceed to a vote by the Assembly, which has passed similar legislation in the past. The bill would establish a single-payer system in California, modeled on the healthcare systems flourishing in virtually all other industrialized nations, where better patient outcomes are achieved at a fraction of the cost of the U.S. system.

“It is unclear what the prospects are for health reform at the national level,” said CNA co-president Geri Jenkins, RN, “but this vote offers California the chance to chart a new course for the nation. SB 810 will guarantee healthcare for every family through a humane system that controls costs and allows patients and their doctors -- not insurance agents -- to make decisions about healthcare,” said Jenkins. “People will pay less, and no longer be denied care based on their income, age, location, or pre-existing health conditions.” More

Rise of the Tire Nazis

CARB is proposing to require every repair dealer to check the inflation of every tire during repair to improve mpg for all vehicles which, in theory, is meritorious.

However (the) regs. CARB’s pushing through provides that the only times that consumers may decline a check and inflate service—they can never decline the service if it’s offered for free—is when they are charged for services AND if they can PROVE (with DOCUMENTATION!) that they’ve had their tires checked and inflated in the last 30 days, or if they WILL do so within the next week. It is unclear, but possible, that CARB could take enforcement action against the consumer if they don’t follow through with their promise?!

Unless (Automotive Service Providers) offer the (tire check/inflation) service for free to the consumer and the consumer accepts it, the regulation would have the effect of either forcing the ASPs to check tires without the consent of the consumer in violation of the ... Automotive Repair Act, or force ASPs to refuse to provide any repair services at all to the consumer. More

New Year, New Laws: California's 2010 Rulebook

On January 1 many new laws will go into effect in California. A whole alphabet of them, in fact, according to the Merced Sun-Star's A-Z list. A scan of the list elicits a variety of responses -- from relief to head-scratching. Here's a sampling, as categorized by us.

Law SB 572 designates May 22nd as Harvey Milk Day and requires schools to observe the birth date of the assassinated gay rights leader as a "day of special significance."

AB 305 puts people in jail if they are convicted of failing to report oil spills, or lying about them.

AB 1015 makes it a misdemeanor to sell or give nitrous oxide -- aka "laughing gas" -- to a minor.

Law SB 527 will allow the operation of bikes without seats on state roads, as long as the bike was built that way on purpose. SB 609 will extend a law that allows the importation of products made with alligator and crocodile parts. SB 135 makes it a misdemeanor to chop off a cow's tail, except for when it's medically necessary. More

Schwarzenegger Seeks Obama’s Help for Deficit Relief

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, anticipating a $21 billion state budget deficit, plans to ask President Barack Obama to ease mandates and minimums on social programs to save as much as $8 billion.

The Republican governor plans to seek the relief, according to a California official who asked not to be identified because details haven’t been resolved. Instead of seeking one-time stimulus money or a bailout, the most-populous U.S. state wants the federal government to reduce mandates and waive rules stipulating expenditures on programs such as indigent health care, the official said.

California is among states most affected by the economic recession. It has the lowest credit rating and recorded the nation’s second-highest rate of home foreclosures, trailing only Nevada.

Unemployment peaked at 12.5 percent in October amid the loss of 687,700 jobs from the year before, when the jobless figure was 8 percent. Wealth declined as the stock market lost 40 percent of its value in 2008. More

New Year's Eve Fireworks At San Diego Bay Canceled

SAN DIEGO - The annual New Year's Eve fireworks show over San Diego Bay has been canceled after an environmental group threatened to sue over pollution concerns, it was announced Tuesday.

The cancellation comes after the Coast Law Group, on behalf of the nonprofit Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation, sent a notice of intent to file a Clean Water Act lawsuit against the Port of San Diego over fireworks shows on the bay.

The port and San Diego Port Tenants Association sponsor the annual shows.

The notice stated that firework displays on New Year's Eve and the Fourth of July release "substantial amounts of pollution into San Diego Bay" in violation of the Clean Water Act. More

'Cool' car rules could affect radios, phones

California's latest requirement for the auto industry -- advanced window glazing to keep vehicles cooler -- could prevent drivers from making phone calls, listening to satellite radio or using garage door openers.

It also could lead Chrysler Group LLC to stop selling its soft-top convertible Jeep Wrangler in the Golden State. The standard for sunroofs is so tough that automakers warn the glass would have to be "effectively black."

The California Air Resources Board has adopted a new "Cool Cars" regulation ordering advanced glazing of windows to block the sun's heat and reduce the need for air conditioning. Windows must be coated with microscopic specks of metal oxide to reflect sunlight.

Advocates say the requirements will reduce the temperature inside vehicles, saving gasoline and cutting greenhouse gases. More

Non-Endangered Fish More Important than California Farmers

Water restrictions that were imposed by our Federal Government in order to protect a little fish called the Delta Smelt, is putting California farmers out of business. You’ve heard about this, right? The Delta Smelt is a little fish that lives abundantly in Asia. The tiny creature found its way over to America and landed in Southern California. The smelt’s habitat is the source of water pumped to 25 million people in Southern California and the Bay Area. The Department of Water Services has shut down pumping from the delta during the smelt’s most vulnerable times. This in turn, has left the farmers with no water to irrigate their fields, thus causing our American Farmers to lose their crops and to help raise the unemployment rate in the area to a whopping forty percent!

The fish has been placed on the endangered species list, but what is not being reported is that the fish thrives in Asia. We want to report that the Delta Smelt is not an endangered species, but it is more important than our own farmers. Our Government is allowing these California Farmers to lose their fields, their employees, their jobs and their very livelihood, all for the sake of a 2-3 inch long fish that is native to Asia. More

California to withhold a bigger chunk of paychecks

Starting Sunday, cash-strapped California will dig deeper into the pocketbooks of wage earners -- holding back 10% more than it already does in state income taxes just as the biggest shopping season of the year kicks into gear.

Technically, it's not a tax increase, even though it may feel like one when your next paycheck arrives. As part of a bundle of budget patches adopted in the summer, the state is taking more money now in withholding, even though workers' annual tax bills won't change.

Think of it as a forced, interest-free loan: You'll be repaid any extra withholding in April. Those who would receive a refund anyway will receive a larger one, and those who owe taxes will owe less.

But with rising gas costs, depressed home prices and double-digit unemployment, the state's added reach into residents' regular paycheck isn't sitting well with many. More

Lack of driver's license, no bar to getting insurance

No driver's license, no car insurance, right? Wrong.

Auto insurance companies have realized what other businesses, including banks and car dealers, have: Illegal immigrants represent a large and lucrative market.

That is especially true in the Golden State, where analysts say about a quarter of the nation's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants live.

Many of those immigrants work and are willing to pay a premium for car insurance, even if they are unlicensed. "We are not immune to accidents and it's the law," said Erica Avila, an undocumented immigrant in Escondido who has a car insurance policy. "We want to have whatever documents we can get." More

Two Northern California Salmon Rivers Go Dry As Spawning Season Begins

FORT JONES, Calif. - In the absence of action by responsible agencies, Klamath River advocates including Klamath Riverkeeper are mobilizing legal and grassroots responses to a water flow crisis of species -- exterminating proportions in the Scott and Shasta tributaries to the Klamath.

Flows in the Scott River bottomed out at an all time record low of less than one cubic foot per second (cfs) this week, according to a UnitedStates Geological Survey (USGS) flow gage at Fort Jones -- far below the average of 69 cfs for this time of year. Large areas of the river have gone completely dry, stranding endangered coho salmon as well as Chinook and steelhead in shallow, disconnected pools of water.

The adjacent Shasta River isn’t faring much better, with flows as low as 6 cubic feet per second, below its average of 30 cfs for this time of year. Both streams are critical fish habitat within the Klamath River watershed and are dewatered by excessive irrigation withdrawals in the Scott and Shasta Valleys of Northern California. More

Women, Children Raped In County's 'Most Dangerous Area'

SAN DIEGO - Authorities said a desolate corner of San Diego County may be its most violent area. It is so dangerous 10News crews had to put on bulletproof vests before entering the area near Boulevard.

"The violence in this area is so bad that a 12-year-old was raped to death," said Estela De Los Rios of the Center for Social Advocacy.

In the area, authorities said there are pieces of evidence left behind that serve as a grim reminder of the violence happening near the U.S.-Mexico border. More

CHP to Focus on Seatbelt Violators

SACRAMENTO - Buckle up, or prepare to pay up if you’re stopped by a California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer on Thursday, September 17, 2009. Designated by the CHP as “Vehicle Occupant Restraint Day,” the statewide campaign allows officers on grant-funded overtime, to focus their attention specifically on people who fail to wear a seat belt when riding in a vehicle.

“Seat belts are your first line of defense against injuries or death,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “If you’re not buckled up during a crash, you could be thrown through a window or even crushed by a vehicle.”

More than 30 percent of all vehicle passengers killed statewide in 2007 and 2008 were not buckled up at the time of the collision. More

California Governor Holds Garage Sale on eBay, Craigslist

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced that the state's Department of General Services has posted several surplus items - some signed by the Governor - for sale on eBay and Craigslist in preparation for the "Great California Garage Sale."

The idea stemmed from a "conversation" the governor had on Twitter using the #myidea4ca hashtag in which he asked the public for new ideas on the state budget.

"By posting items online, Californians and people from other states and around the world can participate in the Great California Garage Sale," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "This is a win-win for the state and for shoppers. Together we are eliminating waste and providing great deals in this tough economy. I encourage everyone to log on or attend this great event." More

Will Cali pull the plug on flat screen TVs?

California's flat energy demand is a point of much pride, and the rolling blackouts of the heady Enron days a matter of shame.

With that in mind, state regulators are considering pulling the plug on large flat-screen TVs that use exorbitant amounts of electricity (even when off).

The state's energy commission will unveil rules today that would limit manufacturers to selling more efficient models. The rules, if adopted, would mean that about a quarter of the models currently for sale would be pulled from stores.

Televisions account for 10 percent of residential electricity use, and the popularity of large flat-screen models jeopardizes California's long-term energy goals. More

California resort offers $19 'survivor' package

The recession is in full swing, and the travel industry is feeling it as well.

The Rancho Bernardo Inn, in San Diego and ranked #1 by Conde Naste in 2008, is offering a special with rooms for $19 a day. Sounds too good to be true right? Here’s the catch.

For $19 a night, guests get a room with a tent, and that’s about it. All other room amenities have been removed, include bedding, toilet paper, air conditioning, lights, and the regularly included breakfast has been eliminated.

The cool thing about this special is that it actually starts at $219 a night, and the price lowers depending on what the guests are willing to give up. For example, guests can take the regular $219 rate and get it for $199 by giving up breakfast.

That rate will go down to $179 without breakfast or the honor bar. Rate goes down to $159 without heat or air conditioning, and so on, until the rate hits a measly $19. More

California unemployment rate hits 11.9 percent

California's unemployment rate climbed to 11.9 percent in July, the highest number in modern record-keeping.

That's an increase from 11.6 percent in June and significantly higher than the jobless rate of 7.3 percent a year ago, state officials said Friday.

The Employment Development Department said California lost 35,800 jobs last month but noted it was the lowest monthly job loss total since August 2008. The state shed 66,100 jobs in June.

Stephen Levy, senior economist at the Palo Alto-based Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy, said the decline was a sign the state is edging toward the end of the recession. More

State green power plan will cost consumers billions

Retired schoolteacher Sharon Reid and her husband, Dewitt, a retired Marine major, pay $170 in a typical month ---- and some months more than $230 ---- to cool and light their 2,000-square-foot, tri-level home in Vista.

Without making any changes in lifestyle, their electricity bill is likely to increase by $45 a month on average as California overhauls its power grid and tries to shift the source of one-third of its electricity from fossil fuels to green sources by 2020.

A new state report says California electricity rates will rise about 27 percent by 2020, with close to half the increase triggered by the switch to green energy.

Reid said she understands what the state is trying to do. "I do believe in green energy," she said, but "27 percent is a heck of a lot of money." More

Massive Squid Grabs San Diego Diver Underwater

Ever since the squid started washing up on San Diego beaches over the past week, scuba divers have been heading out to get a closer look. One woman got a much closer look than she wante

A night dive on Saturday lit up the underwater world for diver Shanda Magill -- octopus, sharks, and Humboldt squid -- the kind of sights you see once, and want to see again as soon as possible.

"Went out for another dive the next night, and that's where things kind of turned around," Magill said laughing. She was separated from her dive partners. More

State Prepares To Issue IOUs As Budget Deficit Worsens

California's controller will start paying many of the state's bills with IOUs as soon as Thursday after lawmakers failed to close the state's worsening budget deficit, adding a new measure of indignity to a state sinking deeper into dysfunction.

Lawmakers' failure to act on Tuesday, the end of the fiscal year, also widened California's deficit from what already had been a whopping $24.3 billion -- more than a quarter of its general fund. The growing shortfall can be attributed to the state's highly complex funding formula that boosts school funding each year.

The failure to balance the state's main checkbook and the looming IOUs prompted Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday to declare a fiscal state of emergency. More

The Persian Conquest

The interior decor of Sam Nazarian’s $18.9 million mansion high above the Sunset Strip might be described as nightlife moderne. Glossy stone floors and glass walls are set off by glam touches like a Roy Lichtenstein print—This Must Be the Place, cheekily hung in the bathroom—and a black crystal chandelier. But what’s inside the Nazarian house is secondary to the view: the city of Los Angeles spread like a vast Persian carpet laid at Nazarian’s feet. It is, in more ways than one, a view from the top.

These days Nazarian hardly needs an introduction in Hollywood and Beverly Hills: At 33, he has built an empire that includes trendy nightclubs, an archipelago of restaurants and the flashy SLS Hotel, with further hotels planned for Miami and Las Vegas. His circle, however, extends well beyond the celebutantes courted by his businesses. Nazarian and his family, who like many Iranian Jews left Tehran during the 1979 revolution, are leaders of a powerful Persian Jewish elite in Beverly Hills. One hint of the community’s influence in Los Angeles is a framed commendation on Nazarian’s sitting room wall from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. “I was one of his first supporters,” explains Nazarian. “We’re very, very close.” More

Class Action Wage and Hour Issues, False Imprisonment Described in California Complaint

SAN DIEGO - Giant retail chain Costco keeps something in its California warehouses that customers don't know about. According to a class action complaint filed today in California Superior Court in San Diego County, it's the company's hourly employees who have been forced to clock out of work and want to go home, but are routinely and regularly prevented from doing so.

Mary Pytelewski, a full-time clerk who's worked nearly a decade in Costco's warehouse in San Marcos, CA, filed the suit today on behalf of herself and all other similarly situated Costco employees.

According to Ms. Pytelewski's legal team, the suit stems from a scheme by Issaquah, Washington-based Costco Wholesale Corporation to deny its California employees compensation and overtime benefits due to them under state law. The heart of the scheme involves locking hourly employees inside each warehouse every night for approximately 15 minutes after they have finished work and are off the clock. During this period, the stores' managers perform closing activities, such as removing jewelry from display cases and emptying cash registers. More

AG Jerry Brown Sues Wells Fargo, Alleges Fraud

California Attorney General Jerry Brown on Thursday accused subsidiaries of Wells Fargo & Co. of fraud in a lawsuit alleging the bank improperly marketed $1.5 billion in risky investments as "safe and liquid as cash."

The lawsuit filed in San Francisco Superior Court accuses Wells Fargo Investments LLC, Wells Fargo Brokerage Services LLC and Wells Fargo Institutional Services LLC of wrongly assuring investors that the investments were safe in deceptive advertising.

The suit is the latest of a flurry of legal actions taken against banks nationwide related to the February 2008 collapse of the $330 billion "auction rate securities" market. More

Thousands attend anti-tax rally in Corona

CORONA ---- Bombastic radio talk show hosts "John and Ken" lit the fuse.

And thousands of Southern California residents provided the "boom," turning the normally laid-back setting of Tom's Farms, a pastoral roadside attraction/farmers market on the outskirts of Corona, into a raucous staging ground for an anti-tax rally on Saturday afternoon.

The rally, a companion piece to the anti-tax KFI AM 640 hosts' live broadcast, featured hundreds of colorful signs, "Don't Tread on Me" flags and life-size effigies of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ripped to pieces by a industrial shredder.

The rally was one of several anti-tax gatherings staged throughout the state Saturday to urge the defeat of five of the six propositions on Tuesday's ballot, a slate of measures that the governor has endorsed as a way to help California close its gaping budget deficit. More

Governor asks: What if pot's legal and taxed?

As California struggles to find cash, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Tuesday it's time to study whether to legalize and tax marijuana for recreational use.

The Republican governor did not support legalization – and the federal government still bans marijuana use – but advocates hailed the fact that Schwarzenegger endorsed studying a once-taboo political subject.

"Well, I think it's not time for (legalization), but I think it's time for a debate," Schwarzenegger said. "I think all of those ideas of creating extra revenues, I'm always for an open debate on it. And I think we ought to study very carefully what other countries are doing that have legalized marijuana and other drugs, what effect did it have on those countries?" More

CHP officer accused of taking sexual bribe for speeding

VISTA ---- A retired Oceanside-based California Highway Patrol officer headed to jail from a Vista courtroom Tuesday, accused of conspiring to get a woman's speeding ticket dismissed in exchange for sex ---- and allegedly charging his agency overtime for the hotel tryst.

Officer Abram Carabajal, 51, of Oceanside, pleaded not guilty to three felony counts ---- perjury, conspiracy to obstruct justice and accepting a bribe.

"He went into court, committed perjury," prosecutor Jeff Dort said of Carabajal and the accusations he faces. "Her case was then dismissed. They then went directly to the Guesthouse Inn in Oceanside, spent an hour. He received a bribe."

The bribe, Dort said, was sex. More

Mortgage defaults rise but homeowners stay put

More Californians are failing to make their mortgage payments than at any time in the last 20 years, but fewer of them are losing their homes, according to new figures.

The drop in foreclosures follows moratoriums adopted by major banks and mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The increase in loan defaults, meanwhile, suggests that rising unemployment and the continuing recession are still claiming fresh victims.

But another factor in the soaring default rate could be that some struggling homeowners are purposely skipping their payments so that they can get their loans refinanced, industry experts say. More

Cali to reduce carbon emissions by...banning black cars?!

In a move that will likely get California's consumers in a huff, impending legislation may soon restrict the paint color options for Golden State residents looking for their next new vehicle. The specific colors that are currently on the chopping block are all dark hues, with the worst offender seemingly the most innocuous color you could think of: Black.

What could California possibly have against these colors, you ask? Apparently, the California Air Resources Board figures that the climate control systems of dark colored cars need to work harder than their lighter siblings – especially after sitting in the sun for a few hours. Anyone living in a hot, sunny climate will tell you that this assumption is accurate, of course. In fact, legislation already exists for buildings that has proven successful at reducing the energy consumption of skyscrapers. More

Pink Friday Takes on a Life of Its Own

In rallies from Sacramento to San Jose, Santa Maria to Simi Valley, thousands of teachers, parents, community members, school administrators and public education supporters joined together Friday to support public education and protest the 26,590 pink slips that have already been issued to California educators. A final number will be available next week.

"The outpouring of enthusiasm and support for our students, educators and schools around the state has been amazing," said David A. Sanchez, president of the 340,000-member California Teachers Association.

Pink Friday was observed on March 13 because that is the state deadline for issuing preliminary layoff notices to teachers.

The number of layoff notices sent this year is more than double the number sent last year. The massive number is a result of the largest single cut to public education in the state's history. More

Museum of Tolerance has intolerant neighbors

The Simon Wiesenthal Center, which has been battling for more than three years to construct a $200 million center in Israel, is facing another emotional building controversy, this one in its own backyard. The proposed Center for Human Dignity in the heart of Jerusalem is opposed by two Palestinian advocacy groups, which claim that the complex would sit atop a historic Muslim cemetery. The legal confrontation has been hanging fire in the Israel Supreme Court for the last 18 months.

Back home, the neighborhood conflict is just beginning, although its roots go back a long way. Foremost at issue is an expansion of the Wiesenthal's famed Museum of Tolerance, which has some neighbors up in arms. Plans call for the addition of a two-story, 45-foot-high building at the museum's southern end, including an indoor cafe and a roof garden on top, taking up almost all the space of the present memorial garden. More

Police to investigate threats to Octo mom

LOS ANGELES – California taxpayers have found themselves held hostage by insane greedy college educated unwed, unemployed mother during a time of budget crisis.

Police said Thursday they will investigate death threats against octuplet mom Nadya Suleman and advise her publicist on how to handle a torrent of other nasty messages that have flooded his office.

Word that the 33-year-old single, unemployed mother is receiving public assistance to care for the 14 children she conceived through in vitro fertilization has stoked furor among many people.

Police Lt. John Romero said officers were meeting with Suleman's publicist Mike Furtney about the flood of angry phone calls and e-mail messages against Suleman, her children and Furtney. More

Tax Revolt and Recall Protest draws 15,000

Fullerton – An estimated crowd of 15,000 people showed up at a tax revolt and recall protest hosted by The John & Ken Show of radio station KFI 640.

The hyperactive John Kobylt and immaculately groomed Ken Chiampou prodded the crowd into chants of "heads on a stick" and "off with their heads" several times during the three hour event, referring to lazy legislators and the lying governor.

Some people brought bloody effigy heads of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and stuck them on the end of a pike, while the crowd joined their hosts in a chant of "heads on a stick."

Several people brought VHS cassettes, DVDs, laser discs, an action hero lunchbox, action figures and other memorabilia from the governor's Hollywood career, whiche were tossed into a pile and smashed with a sledgehammer.

Click on each image for a larger view

Study to test real-world effects of stun gun use raises safety questions

The rate of sudden deaths increased six-fold in the first year that California law enforcement agencies deployed the use of stun guns, according to a UCSF study. Findings also showed a two-fold increase in the rate of firearm-related deaths during the same time period.

The most widely used brand of stun gun is the Taser, and the team surveyed for outcomes related to the deployment of this device.

While some industry-funded controlled human studies have shown Tasers to cause no harm, this study suggests that their real-world effects pose greater medical risk and more danger than previous reports, said study author Zian H. Tseng, MD. Although the device has been advertised to decrease the number of shooting deaths and officer injuries, study outcomes showed an increase rather than a reduction in the rate of shooting deaths and no change in officer injuries following Taser deployment, he added. More

California bond rating drops lower than any other state's

California's bond rating was downgraded below that of every other state Tuesday by a major Wall Street rating agency, as lawmakers trying to resolve the state's financial problems faced growing resistance from powerful interest groups.

Citing the state's prolonged budget impasse and its nearly empty treasury, Standard & Poor's lowered its rating on $46 billion in general obligation bonds, which investors usually consider one of the safest investments because they are backed by taxpayers.

By reducing California's bonds from an "A-plus" to an "A" rating, the agency declared that it now considers even the debt of Louisiana -- whose credit had been ranked equally with California's -- a more trustworthy investment. Most states are rated "AA" or "AAA." More

Man Sold Daughter For $16K, Beer And Meat

Multiculturalism has arrived in a small California town in a way that has gained a lot of attention.

A California man has been arrested for arranging for his 14-year-old daughter to marry a neighbor in exchange for $16,000, 100 cases of beer and several cases of meat, police said.

Authorities in Greenfield, a farming community on California's central coast, said they learned of the deal after Marcelino de Jesus Martinez, 36, asked them for help getting back his daughter after payment wasn't made.

The deal specifically involved 100 cases of Corona beer, 50 cases of Modelo, six bottles of wine, 50 cases of soft drinks and 50 cases of Gatorade.

Martinez is a member of an indigenous Mexican Trique community. Greenfield police Chief Joe Grebmeier said the case highlights an issue confronting local authorities in that arranged marriages with girls as young as 12 are not uncommon among the Trique. More

Phasing out the wood-burning fireplace

As Southwest Riverside County residents brace for cold winter temperatures and prepare to entertain family members for the holidays, the temptation to fire up that cozy, romantic fireplace is heating up. But the tradition of throwing another log on the fire ---- a wooden one, at least ---- may be on the way out.

That's a troubling thought for many, including longtime resident Annie Borel, whose family homesteaded French Valley northeast of Temecula more than a century ago.

"I saw a sign for free firewood the other day, and thought, 'Gosh, it's not going to be long before they're telling us we can't have fireplaces,'" Borel said.

Indeed, a powerful special district with the task of clearing the air in four smoggy Southern California counties, including Riverside, is going to make builders stop framing tract homes with wood-burning fireplaces. More

Host of new laws greet new year in Cali

There probably will be a lot more expressions of OMG (shorthand for Oh, my God) than LOL (laugh out loud) about a new law regarding text messaging that takes effect Jan. 1. Starting Thursday, all California motorists are banned from text messaging while driving. The new law makes it illegal for anyone to write, send or read a text message while driving. Before the state Legislature approved the measure, text messaging was illegal only for drivers under age 18.

The new year will bring a host of other new laws, including four that address drunken driving. One prohibits anyone convicted of driving under the influence from driving with a blood-alcohol content of 0.01 or above. Anyone with a previous drunken driving conviction who refuses to take a breath test, or has a reading of 0.01 or above, will lose their license on the spot and see their vehicle impounded.

Another law addresses portable global positioning systems. Motorists who install the devices on their windshields are required to place them either in a 7-inch square in the lower corner of the passenger side or a 5-inch square in the windshield's lower left corner of the windshield. More

SoCal Residents Trade Guns for Food

A program to exchange guns for gifts brought in a record number of weapons this year as residents hit hard by the economy look under the bed and in closets to find items to trade for groceries. The annual Gifts for Guns program ended Sunday in Compton, a working class city south of Los Angeles that has long struggled with gun and gang violence.

In a program similar to ones in New York and San Francisco, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department allows residents to anonymously relinquish firearms in return for $100 gift cards for Ralphs supermarkets, Target department stores or Best Buy electronics stores.

Turning in assault rifles yields double that amount. More

Most Cali elementary schools will fail to meet proficiency requirements by 2014

How well students and schools – from kindergarten through high school – succeed in mastering a curriculum that includes English Language Arts (ELA), mathematics, and the social and natural sciences, strongly influences how well the students fare in higher education.

In California, student mastery in ELA and mathematics is measured with the California Standards Tests (CST). To determine how the challenge of mastery is being met, a research team led by UC Riverside's Richard Cardullo examined several years of CST data.

The researchers report in the Sept. 26 issue of Science that mathematical models they used in their analysis predict that nearly all elementary schools in California will fail to meet the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirements for proficiency by 2014, the year when all students in the nation need to be proficient in ELA and mathematics, per the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001" (NCLB). More

Naked Woman Leads Police Chase Without Headlights

LOS ANGELES, CA - A naked woman suspected in a Pasadena car vandalism was taken into custody Thursday night after leading Pasadena police officers on a wild car chase. Police say the woman was reported vandalizing a car in the 2400 block of Mohawk and jumped into her car when she saw police officers.

The female suspect led police onto the Ventura (134) Freeway, the and the Golden State (5) Freeway, driving at speeds as high as 95 mph without headlights.

The suspect weaved in between cars and blew past big rigs as if they were standing still, helicopter reporter Larry Welk said. More

Bankrupt Calif. City May Be a Harbinger

VALLEJO, Calif. -- When this city of 120,000 declared bankruptcy in May, the extraordinary step appeared to arise from an extraordinary circumstance: Vallejo's payroll largess. Police captains in this blue-collar town north of San Francisco make more than $200,000. The city manager's $338,000 salary is more than that of the vice president or anyone on the Supreme Court.

"I think it's fair to say everybody's here because the wages and benefits are very good," said city Finance Director Bob Stout, with a tight smile.

But as the nation's financial system staggers and recession looms, officials across America's most populous state are nervously eyeing the other side of the equation that brought the City of Vallejo into the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of California: tax revenue that sank with the economy while payroll and pension obligations continued their rise. More

Biologist Faces 30-Day Suspension for Kayaking L.A. River

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is threatening major disciplinary action against one of its own scientists because she kayaked the Los Angeles River one weekend as part of a protest against the agency refusal to declare the entire river navigable in fact, thus failing to protect much of the watershed under the Clean Water Act, according to documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Citing internet footage of the event, the Corps charged that her “participation undermined [its] authority”, and proposed a 30-day suspension, a punishment one level below termination.

Heather Wylie, a 4-year biologist with the Regulatory Division of the Corps’ L.A. District, was cited for off-duty kayaking and for circulating a news article via e-mail documenting Clean Water Act enforcement problems. The August 7, 2008 “Notice of Proposed Suspension (30 Days)” is still pending, although Corps officials have told PEER that they will act later this month. More

Sarah Palin effigy hanged from house

An effigy of US Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin hanging by a noose as part of a Halloween display has drawn severe criticism, but local officials said the homeowner was covered by free speech rights.

A mannequin dressed to resemble the Alaska governor, with her trademark beehive hairdo and glasses, was hung by the neck from the eaves of the home in West Hollywood.

On the roof, a mannequin of Republican presidential candidate John McCain protruded from the chimney surrounded in flames, holding his head as he was apparently burned alive. More

San Onofre's new bare necessity: a suit

A battle nearly 40 years in the making is coming to a head at one of Southern California's most iconic beaches, pitting the suits against the people who don't wear any.

Swimsuits, that is.

After decades of looking the other way, officials at San Onofre State Beach in north San Diego County are set to crack down on a clothing-optional stretch of sand where people soak up the sun without fear of tan lines.

Citing ongoing complaints from park visitors and the fear of workplace harassment lawsuits from employees, officials say they will begin citing skinny dippers who refuse to cover up after Labor Day. New large signs warning that nudity is prohibited have recently sprouted up throughout the park, and rangers are telling nude sunbathers that their endless summer is about to end. More

California Senate Proclaims October 4-11 No Drugs Down the Drain Week

Everyday in California, unwanted or expired medicine is disposed of down the toilet and flushed medication ends up in local waterways. As chemical analysis has improved, wastewater treatment agencies now can detect even trace amounts of pharmaceuticals in rivers, bays and oceans that may have impacts to fish and wildlife. As a result, it is now necessary to work with communities across California to educate people about keeping medication out of the toilet and disposed of safely.

To deal with this pollution issue, the California Senate recently proclaimed October 4-11 "No Drugs Down the Drain Week." A coalition of local, regional, state and federal agencies is conducting a one-week statewide effort to remind residents that flushing down the toilet and/or pouring down the sink are not acceptable means of medicine disposal. More

Taco Truck Battle Rages On

Southern California's taco truck war continued to sizzle as county officials asked a judge to reinstate a law he threw out last month that had forced truck operators to move every hour or face the threat of jail.

County officials say the trucks, many of which have become the equivalent of neighborhood restaurants, are a nuisance, parking at the same spot every day and bringing in noise and traffic. Operators respond that they meet the same health standards as restaurants and are being unfairly targeted because of organized political pressure from restaurateurs.

At stake is unfettered access to cheap, to-go Mexican food like carnitas, quesadillas and carne asada tacos that are cooked to order and served from literally thousands of elaborate restaurant-trucks that dot the business streets in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, particularly in largely Hispanic East Los Angeles, where trucks can be found on almost every block. More

Hard water ahead for Cali residents

The California state legislature will almost certainly pass a sweeping water softener ban law very soon, observers say.

The bill, AB 2270, passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee by party line vote yesterday. It is expected to pass the whole Senate as early as next week and move to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk. The State Water Resources Control Board told the legislature that bans will not cost state government significant amounts of money. However, the law could cost homeowners untold sums.

"Those in the industry and homeowners need to make sure the governor knows how damaging this law would be," said Peter Censky, executive director of the Water Quality Association. "This drastic bill would do very little good for the environment and cause a lot of problems for homeowners throughout California."

The bill gives unelected water boards the power to decide whether towns can ban softeners. If a town chooses to announce a ban, policing power to enforce it would be necessary. More

Where does all that state money go?

California state government spent $145 billion last fiscal year, $41 billion more than four years ago when Gov. Gray Davis got recalled by voters. With all that new spending -- a whopping 40% increase -- we ought to be in a golden age of government with abundant public services for all.

So why does it seem like the quality and quantity of government is not all that different from 2004? How many of us feel like we are getting 40% more public services, 40% better schools, roads, parks and so on?

Some of it went to cover increases in the cost of living, and state spending naturally grows with the size of the population. But even adjusting for inflation and population growth, state spending is up almost 20% compared with four years ago, a big enough bump that ordinary Californians should be able to notice it. The state's financial statements describe where the money went -- the big gainers were education ($13 billion), transportation ($10 billion) and health ($10 billion) -- but not why these billions don't create even a blip on our day-to-day radar. More

3 SoCal hospitals accused of using homeless for fraud

On a Sunday afternoon two years ago, five homeless people being dropped off on Los Angeles' skid row by an ambulance caught the attention of police officers.

The officers videotaped what they thought was a case of hospitals dumping patients in a section of the city where few would notice or care.

But as investigators began to unravel the incident, they say they found something far different: a massive scheme to defraud taxpayer-funded healthcare programs of millions of dollars by recruiting homeless patients for unnecessary medical services.

The elaborate enterprise churned thousands of indigents through hospitals over the last four years and billed Medicare and Medi-Cal for costly and unjustified medical procedures, federal, state and local investigators said Wednesday. Those involved in the alleged conspiracy "ranged from street-level operatives to the chief executive of a hospital," U.S. Atty. Thomas P. O'Brien said. More

Assembly goes on vacation amid Cali budget deadlock

With the state budget far from resolved, the Assembly resumed its summer vacation Tuesday.

Members of the lower house contemplated two dozen bills before joining their Senate counterparts on holiday. Barring a budget breakthrough, both houses are scheduled to be dark until Aug. 4.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, meanwhile, ramped up his rhetoric over the lack of progress on the state's $101 billion general fund spending plan, which contains a $15.2 billion deficit. The governor admonished the Legislature for not meeting its June 15 constitutional deadline and noted that he has always turned in his spending proposal on time.

"I can only get the horse to the water," Schwarzenegger said, "but I can't make it drink." More

Algebra 1 to be required for all 8th-graders

All California eighth-graders in public school will have to take Algebra 1 beginning in 2011 under a policy approved Wednesday by the state Board of Education in an 8-1 vote.

The board decided to make algebra testing mandatory in the eighth grade over the strong objections of Jack O'Connell, the state's elected schools chief. O'Connell accused the board of demanding high standards while failing to tie them to extra resources needed to fix a shortage of math teachers and prepare thousands of disadvantaged kids for the rigorous class.

"I fear that we're setting our students up for failure," O'Connell said. "I pray that I'm wrong." More

Legislators lust for porn tax

Solving this year's state budget deficit will require some creative solutions. Democrats and Republicans agree on that.

But in an example of just how dysfunctional the state's finances are, take a look at one bill co-sponsored by Assemblywoman Cathleen Galgiani, D-Livingston.

The bill, AB 2914, would levy a tax on all services defined as adult entertainment, everything from entry fees at a gentleman's club to blue videos at your corner store.

Dubbed, naturally, a "porn tax," the bill would send revenues that could be used, in vague language, on anything that would address the societal costs of adult entertainment. That could be education, health and human services, environment (Paper used for men's magazines? Air pollution from cars driving to strip clubs? OK, maybe not). More

Lawmaker pushes for expansion of secret license plates

SANTA ANA – Assemblyman Sandre Swanson told the story earlier this month during a public radio show about confidential license plates intended to protect government employees from criminals.

Swanson wants to expand the program, which already shields the home address on record for nearly 1 million cars owned by public employees.

"We've had a code enforcement officer who was killed and his family murdered as a result of his information being obtained through DMV records," Swanson said on AirTalk on KPPC. "and so we've already had tragic examples."

But the Register was unable to find even a single example of a code enforcement officer killed because someone accessed their drivers' records. And neither could the lobbyist supporting Swanson's proposal. An aide to Swanson eventually acknowledged that the anecdote wasn't accurate. More

California Lawmaker Floats Balloon Ban

A California state senate committee Tuesday unanimously approved a ban on helium-filled metallic balloons.

The bill's sponsor, State Sen. Jack Scott, D-Altadena, said metallic balloons are responsible for hundreds of power outages every year when they drift into power lines.

"I don't want to be a party pooper, but these things are causing a lot more damage than people realize," Scott said.

The owner of the Sacramento Balloon Co. couldn't believe the legislature was considering the ban. Steve Rostratter said metallic balloons make up more than half his business.

"There are thousands of jobs in California in the balloon industry," Rostratter said. More

Scientists: Big Quake Likely in Cali

California faces an almost certain risk of being rocked by a strong earthquake by 2037, scientists said in the first statewide temblor forecast.

New calculations reveal there is a 99.7 percent chance a magnitude 6.7 quake or larger will strike in the next 30 years. The odds of such an event are higher in Southern California than Northern California, 97 percent versus 93 percent.

"It basically guarantees it's going to happen," said Ned Field, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Pasadena and lead author of the report.

The 1994 Northridge earthquake under Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley was magnitude 6.7. It killed 72 people, injured more than 9,000 and caused $25 billion in damage in the metropolitan area.

The damage created by an earthquake depends greatly on where it hits. A 7.1 quake hit the Mojave Desert in 1999 but caused only a few injuries and no deaths. More

Oakland cops: Mind if we search your house for guns?

OAKLAND _ A six-month pilot program where Oakland police officers would knock on doors and ask permission to search homes for guns got the green light from the City Council's public safety committee Tuesday night.

It goes to the full council Tuesday, when the council will meet at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza.

The consent-to-search program, as it is called, is based closely on a similar effort launched in St. Louis in 1994 and on ongoing programs in Boston and Washington, D.C. The idea is simple: To ask parents for permission to search their homes for weapons their children may be hiding.

Under the program, officers would request permission to search homes for guns. Guns would be taken away, but officers would not pursue prosecution unless the weapon was tied to a crime. More

DWP users asked to pay breast-feeding bill

Sidestepping any potential opposition from its commission, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is shopping for a contractor to run pregnancy and breast-feeding classes for its workers for up to $50,000 a year.

Because the contract for "lactation specialist services" is less than $150,000, General Manager H. David Nahai can award it without seeking approval from the DWP board once the proposals are opened March 7.

But board member Nick Patsaouras criticized Nahai on Thursday for not bringing the controversial contract to commissioners for discussion.

"In general, I respect the general manager has the authority (to award contracts) under $150,000, but in this case some board members in the past expressed objections and so it should come before the board," he said.

Patsouras said it's inappropriate to continue the lactation program at a time when the utility wants to raise electric rates by 9 percent over three years and water rates by 6 percent over two years. More

Cops owe $170,000 from gun buyback

OAKLAND — When the lines at Saturday's three gun exchange locations snaked around several city blocks and the money ran out, Oakland Police Chief Wayne Tucker had a choice to make: Turn people and their guns away, or give them vouchers for a future payday.

Tucker opted for the IOUs. As a result more than 1,000 weapons were turned in — many by gun dealers — and the final tally was significantly higher than the 300 guns organizers expected to collect. State Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata raised about $80,000 from private donors, but the cash-strapped Police Department is on the hook for at least $170,000.

Just where the department will come up with that much cash is anyone's guess. "OPD is picking up the rest," said police spokesman Roland Holmgren. "Where will we get it? That's a good question. I don't think we've really identified that yet." More

Voting - California Style

With a potentially close Presidential primary between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in California it is important that independent voters—those who are not registered in a political party—know that they can vote in the Democratic primary and how they can do so.

If you are a registered Democrat, it’s easy—you will get a Democratic ballot to vote.

If you are an Independent (Not Registered with a Party), you can vote in the Democratic Primary for President—but you have to ask for a Democratic ballot—otherwise, all you get is one that lists the ballot propositions.

If you have requested a vote by mail ballot, and have not requested a Democratic ballot, bring your ballot to the polling place on election day, tell the poll worker that you want a Democratic ballot instead, surrender your old one to the poll worker, and get and vote your Democratic presidential primary ballot. More

Californians Approve Indian Gaming Increase

Los Angeles - Californians marked their ballots not only for their favorite presidential candidates Tuesday, but they also voted to allow Indian tribes to expand gambling in the state – a reversal of public sentiment toward that idea just a few months ago.

Voter approval of four citizen initiatives to expand Indian gambling operations came after months of TV ad wars and will result in the addition of enough new slot machines in California to equal the number at Las Vegas's top 10 casinos.

On another ballot measure calling for an adjustment in term limits for elected politicians, Californians refused to budge from their long-standing position that state legislators, in particular, need to be on a short leash. They rejected it 51 to 49 percent.

The huge spending on ads – $150 million on each side in the gambling propositions and another $7 million on the term-limits measure – showed the power of the purse to influence elections.. More

Kali Man Saves Year's Worth of Trash

BERKELEY, Calif. - Ari Derfel leads a trashy life. He just wants to remind everyone else that they do, too.

The 35-year-old Berkeley caterer said he has saved every piece of trash he has generated over the past year to see how much garbage one person creates.

The experiment began as a way to examine his own consumption habits, Derfel said, but grew into a statement about consumerism and the environment. More

Suit Over Socks Costs School $95,000

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Officials in a Northern California school district might not think Tiggers are such wonderful things after agreeing to pay $95,000 in lawyers' fees to five families who sued the school over its dress code.

The parents went to court after a student was disciplined for wearing socks with the "Winnie the Pooh" cartoon character Tigger on the first day of school last year.

The district's superintendent said Thursday that the settlement money is for the plaintiffs' lawyers; the district is also on the hook to pay the lawyers it hired. More

Glendale pair may find pruning trees is costly

GLENDALE, CA - Taking clippers to a tree can be costly in Glendale, where a couple has been fined $347,600 for pruning 13 trees on and around their property.

City officials, though, say any attempt to collect the fine is on hold and they have no intention of charging that much.

It's just a matter of regulations not being properly tailored to fit the offense, officials said.

"None of us are going to put that kind of fine on the people," said City Councilman Dave Weaver.

Within the next couple of months, the City Council is expected to discuss the ordinance on which the fine was based - it's calculated based on a formula - and examine how it could be changed. More

Who's the red-light violator?

Dozens of cities across California still pay red-light camera vendors based on the revenue their tickets generate, even though such contracts have been outlawed by the Legislature and ruled illegal in Orange County court.

The details are technical and still contested but the spirit of the law is clear: Camera vendors shouldn't have a financial incentive to target motorists unfairly.

In Orange County, Laguna Woods has a contract that appears to be in violation of the law. Costa Mesa's contract doesn't meet the test of current law either, but because the contract was signed in 2003, before the law changed, it is not required to conform. City officials say they want to renegotiate to make their contract meet current law but haven't been able to reach agreement with their vendor. More

California’s legislature approves 1000 new laws annually

IN CALIFORNIA, IT BECAME ILLEGAL this year to tie up your dog, whether in a public or private place, for more than three hours. There’s also a new law barring Californians from removing more than 25 freebie newspapers from the stands. And for the inner boozer in all of us, California law now allows stores that sell alcohol to hand out free beer — as long as no more than eight ounces per person is served per day.

Those and dozens of other micro-laws were approved by the 2006 legislature and signed by the Governator last fall, though few Californians ever got the word. And now, amid widespread criticism over their failure to achieve much of merit, Sacramento’s 120 legislators have again sent to Schwarzenegger reams of new laws that illustrate their flair for high volume — and minutiae.

This year, in fact, the legislature accomplished so little — failing to address major issues like prison overcrowding or the state’s inadequate water infrastructure in the face of booming growth — that Schwarzenegger asked lawmakers back from their annual September break and into a special session to deal with health care reform, which foundered amid endless partisan sniping. More

Schwarzenegger approves spraying of biological agent

On September 9th, 2007 several planes hired by the State of California Food and Agricultural Department (CDFA) flying at an altitude of approximately 500ft sprayed the untested biochemical, CheckMate®OLR-F, on over 30,000 citizens in Monterey and other surrounding cities in California. This occurred without the permission of the citizens. The spraying continued for three nights from approximately 8pm to 5am. About 1,500 pounds of biochemical were dumped on the cities. Many citizens did not even know what was happening when the planes were buzzing overhead.

An 11 month old child nearly died from breathing difficulties. A six year old child developed asthma as a result of the aerial spraying. Over one hundred people signed affidavits stating that they got sick from the spraying. Hundreds of people had symptoms like; shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness, burning lungs, nausea, and muscle aches.

The excuse for aerial spraying is not a deadly disease carrying mosquito, but a moth whose larva may eat some leaves of some plants; called the Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM). The CDFA considers the moth an invasive species since it is from Australia. More

San Francisco Plastic Bag Ban Goes Into Effect

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Starting Tuesday, San Francisco shoppers will have one less choice in the checkout line. The city’s plastic bag ban goes into effect tomorrow, forbidding the use of traditional plastic bags by large grocery stores.

Paper and biodegradable sacks can still be handed out, but officials are encouraging shoppers to bring their own. "We really are trying to get the message home that what we really want you to do is bring your own bag,” said Alex Dimitriew of San Francisco's Department of the Environment. More

Schwarzenegger says marijuana is not a drug

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says marijuana is not a drug, a British magazine reported. But his spokesman said the governor was joking.

Schwarzenegger told the British edition of GQ magazine that he had not taken drugs, even though the former bodybuilder and Hollywood star has acknowledged using marijuana in the 1970s and was shown smoking a joint in the 1977 documentary "Pumping Iron."

"That is not a drug. It's a leaf," Schwarzenegger told GQ. "My drug was pumping iron, trust me."

Aaron McLear, Schwarzenegger's press secretary, said the governor made the comments in a lighthearted context, noting his interviewer was Piers Morgan, one of the judges on "America's Got Talent." Morgan is a former British newspaper editor. More

Fabian Nuñez travels the world like a high-roller

As leader of the California Assembly, Speaker Fabian Nuñez has traveled the world in luxury, paying with campaign funds for visits to some of the finest hotels and restaurants and for purchases at high-end retailers such as Louis Vuitton in Paris.

It is not clear how these activities have related to legislative business, as state law requires, because the Los Angeles Democrat refuses to provide details on tens of thousands of dollars in such expenditures.

The spending, listed in mandatory filings with the state, includes $47,412 on United, Lufthansa and Air France airlines this year; $8,745 at the exclusive Hotel Arts in Barcelona, Spain; $5,149 for a "meeting" at Cave L'Avant Garde, a wine seller in the Bordeaux region of France; a total of $2,562 for two "office expenses" at Vuitton, two years apart; and $1,795 for a "meeting" at Le Grand Colbert, a venerable Parisian restaurant. More

Schwarzenegger Terminates Teen Tech Use While Driving

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed SB 33 by Senator Joe Simitian which bans teenage drivers from using all electronic devices -- such as cell phones, pagers and laptops -- while behind the wheel.

"The simple fact is that teenage drivers are more easily distracted. They are young, inexperienced and have a slower reaction time. We want to eliminate any extra distractions so they can focus on paying attention to the road and being good drivers," said Schwarzenegger.

According to the California Highway Patrol, cell phone use is a leading cause of distracted-driver accidents in California. A study conducted by Ford Motor Company revealed that teenage drivers are four times more distracted than adult drivers by cell phone use. More

Harvesting the Secret Gardens

An unprecedented collaboration among federal, state, and local agencies began a well-publicized blitz campaign in northern California’s Shasta County to root out illegal marijuana gardens hidden in national parks and forests – a phenomenon that occurs statewide and is partly the result of stepped-up eradication efforts and tighter border security.

At a news conference in Redding, officials involved in what is known as Operation Alesia trumpeted the successes of the three-tiered campaign, which involves at least 400 people from Shasta County law enforcement, the National Guard, and 15 other agencies. During the conference, Director of National Drug Control Policy John P. Walters described marijuana growing on public land as a threat to public safety and the environment, and referred to growers as “violent criminal terrorists.”

Only 20 percent of gardens on public lands are found and eradicated. Following the eradication of a garden, National Forest Service personnel remove irrigation piping, clean up contaminants and trash, take water and soil samples, and replant native vegetation to avoid soil erosion – a restoration process that cost $11,000 per acre.

“It’s like ‘Whac-A-Mole,’” says Bruce Mirken, director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project, the nation’s biggest legalization advocacy group. “They will chase them out of one area, and they will turn up somewhere else.” More

Get a traffic ticket, your personal data goes to Mexico

In California, a traffic ticket has enough personal data for identity thieves to build a very comprehensive profile. There is name, address, make, model and license number of vehicle, name of insurance company and policy number, and other details to be found.

Ignoring this peril, several municipalities have contracted data entry from tickets to a company that sends them to Mexico for processing to the lowest bidder.

In response to public outcry, Orange County's Superior Court is halting the processing of traffic tickets in Nogales, Mexico.

Court officials amended the contract with the company that handles the tickets, Cal Coast Data Entry. Cal Coast will now process all of the court's tickets at its Cerritos and Phoenix locations.

"(The change) certainly wasn't because we lacked confidence in the contractor," said Chelle Uecker, assistant chief executive officer of the Superior Court of Orange County. "For us, it's the public's confidence – that's paramount to us."

The brouhaha erupted when KFI radio's "John & Ken Show" attacked the outsourcing and urged listeners to complain. Hundreds called and e-mailed the court and county supervisors.

Uecker said that critics had two primary concerns – security of the personal information once it crossed the border and the possible loss of jobs to Mexico. Uecker reiterated that the court felt comfortable with the security issue. More

State of California's Property Stealing Operation

Nearly 15 years ago, the state of California seized about $25,000 worth of stock that Richard Valdes had set aside and forgotten about.

He's been fighting to get it back almost ever since.

Valdes' stock was in an escrow account that the state declared dormant. But no one from the government tried to contact him before the shares were taken and sold. Valdes said he was effectively robbed of stock that would now be worth at least $100,000.

"It's unbelievable to me that they can destroy records and sell your property without notifying you," Valdes, 71, said. "I've lived in the same Newport Beach area for 50 years. It's very easy to get ahold of me."

Valdes is one of millions of people who have seen their financial accounts and safe-deposit boxes drained under the state's "unclaimed property" law, which generates about $400 million in annual revenue for Sacramento, according to the state controller's office. More

Beyond first class: Arnold travels, Cali pays

No one would be surprised to learn that Arnold Schwarzenegger travels in high style to international destinations like China and Israel in his capacity as governor of California. He's one of the planet's most famous men, and if he wants a private jet, fine.

But those of us who tend to fly coach were shocked to learn that Schwarzenegger, as rich as he is, doesn't pay his own way on private jets when going overseas the way he does when traveling in state. As it turns out, taxpayers are indirectly subsidizing his foreign flights and luxury hotel stays through a convoluted reimbursement strategy involving a secretive foundation, according to Thursday's Los Angeles Times.

In effect, every Californian who pays taxes is helping to underwrite the movie star lifestyle of a public servant. More

Living Large with Don Perata

State Senate boss Don Perata throws impressive parties, and this one was a doozy. The guests, some of Perata's best donors among them, feasted on buttery Dungeness crab and sipped California Chardonnay. Then they settled into their plush luxury box seats to watch the Oakland Raiders play the New York Jets in a game with playoff implications.

It was mid-December 2000, and the state senator had just dropped $43,600 on an oversize luxury suite at the Oakland Coliseum for a single afternoon of festivities. At the time he said he was trying to convince East Bay business leaders to buy suites of their own. But like his other ideas involving the Raiders, this one misfired. Team officials later said the bash produced zero luxury box sales.

Perata paid for the box, and the bash, from the treasury of one of his political campaigns. Since the state senator often transfers cash from one campaign to another, it is difficult to determine its exact origin, but public records suggest that most of it came from the Three Rs, a fund-raising committee Perata formed with then-Mayor Jerry Brown a year earlier to improve Oakland schools. The same month as the Raiders party, Perata transferred the remaining $32,668 from the Three Rs into his main Senate account and paid for the luxury box. In other words, money raised to help Oakland schoolchildren likely was spent on crab, wine, and football for a bunch of rich people. More

State senator rear-ends car while talking on cellphone

In a clear case of "do what I say, not what I do", State Sen. Carole Migden has rear-ended a car and injured a Vallejo woman. Migden was talking on a cell phone while driving through Solano County.

Migden last year voted for a new law that takes effect in July 2008 that will impose a minimum fine of $20 for anyone caught using a cell phone while driving without a headset, ear bud or other technology that frees both hands.

Migden, D-San Francisco, was driving her new state-issued 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid SUV at 10:40 a.m. on eastbound Highway 12 at Beck Avenue when she rear-ended Ellen Butawan, 31, of Vallejo, California Highway Patrol Officer Marvin Williford said.

Migden, 58, accepted blame Friday for the accident. More

Cali Teachers dropping out of school

Stephan Goyne entered teaching as a "fight the good fight" kind of guy, taking a job in East Oakland right out of college.

"I come from a family of teachers. It wasn't even a question of whether to do that," Goyne said. "The question was whether to do elementary, middle or high school."

But after six years in the trenches -- bumped from campus to campus, forbidden from organizing field trips and ordered to teach math only after lunch -- Goyne left teaching.

Teachers stifled by bureaucracy, faced with poor conditions and blocked from making decisions in their own classrooms are leaving the profession in droves, according to a new study released Thursday by Cal State University's Teacher Quality Institute. More

"Light Bulb Lloyd" wants to ban incandescent bulbs

A state legislator thinks it's time for California to retire the more-than-a-century-old incandescent light bulb technology and replace it with its cooler, energy-sipping, squiggly compact and toxic fluorescent counterpart.

A bill by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys (Los Angeles County), would make the Golden State the first to make it illegal to sell incandescent light bulbs. Specifically, the legislation, which is set to be formally submitted in the Assembly in the next few days, would ban the old-fashioned bulbs between 25 watts and 150 watts by 2012.

But forcing such a change by 2012 is not only unfair, but technically difficult, a representative of one of the largest light bulb manufacturers said.

"It may not be rocket science, but it actually comes pretty close when it comes to making lighting products that are acceptable and safe," said Earl Jones, a senior counsel for GE's consumer and industrial division. "There are technology challenges to get them done by 2012." More

Schwarzenegger Plans to Insure Most Californians

Los Angeles , CA - A sweeping plan by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to guarantee health insurance for all Californians - including children of illegal immigrants - is being characterized both as a bold model for improving healthcare access and as a costly government intrusion that will hurt the state's economy.

Arguments for and against near-universal healthcare have already been fought out in the few other states that have moved ahead with health-insurance reforms, namely Massachusetts and Vermont. But the sheer numbers involved in Governor Schwarzenegger's proposal - a $12 billion price tag and coverage for 6.5 million people who currently don't have health insurance - are guaranteed to raise the stakes as the California legislature considers whether to approve it.

Among the ranks of the uninsured are about 763,000 children. Of the plan's overall cost, about $400 million would be spent on those minors, no matter what their immigration status is.

It should be noted that one Austrian embarked on an ambitious program of social services for the people of his nation-state over 70 years ago, and it ended with Jews being thrown into ovens. More

Farming, California Style

Pot farmers worked undetected for two to three years in the shadow of homes and hikers, nurturing plants that drooped under the weight of pungent marijuana buds, authorities who cleared out a record haul in Mission Viejo said Thursday.

Whoever was tending to the thriving pot farm at O'Neill Regional Park – likely underlings for a group or criminal cartel, authorities say – had showered their crops with love.

Because some plants had grown to 15 feet and were poking through a canopy of oak trees, sheriff's deputies on routine helicopter patrol late Tuesday could spot them – and then follow a mile-long, serpentine irrigation system that led to seven separate farms and three camps. More

The Wannabe Governor

Democrats and Republicans play this game in which they concede a position to the other party and run a non campaign against the candidate they conceded to.

A memorable example of this was in 1996 and the Republicans decided to concede the White House to Bill Clinton, so they put up Bob Dole to schlepp around the country and do everything but campaign for office.

This year the Democrats decided to concede the California Governor's race to Arnold Schwarzenegger, so they put up a non candidate named Phil Angelides. Mr. Angelides major claim to fame is that he bears a close resemblence to actor Herbert Anderson, who portrayed the father of the TV character Dennis the Menace.

So far Angelides has run an uninspiring campaign, offering no tangible plan or program with which to govern this populous state. It is unlikely that even a well orchestrated smear campaign by "Baghdad Bob" Mulholland will do anything to nudge Angelides into the governor's mansion.

"Baghdad Bob" Mulholland unleashed

There is a foul stench in California politics. It is likely from a Democratic Party operative known as Bob "Baghdad Bob" Mulholland.

If there is a rumor being pumped into circulation about Democratic Party enemies, then the more odious it is, the more likely that Baghdad Bob is skulking around in the background spewing forth the stench.

Mulholland started to show up on the media radar in 1992 after exposing how Republican Senate candidate Bruce Herschensohn visted a strip joint in Hollywood.

But his sleaze turned to menace in the campaign to smear Arnold Schwarzenegger during his run for governor. Mulholland warned Schwarzenegger that "real bullets" will be coming his way during his campaign to be governor.

"Schwarzenegger is going to find out, that unlike a Hollywood movie set, the bullets coming at him in this campaign are going to be real bullets and he is going to have to respond to them," warned Mulholland in an interview with a camera crew from ABC News.

Schwarzenegger's wife, Maria Shriver was very concerned about Arnold's safety after this comment by Baghdad Bob, as her family has a history with assassination.

As the 2006 campaign ramps up, if some odious "puke bomb" is thrown at the last minute to try to knock a few points off of Democratic Party opponents, then take a very close look at the source. Baghdad Bob will surely be lurking nearby.

Gray Davis, John Mark Karr not related

Los Angeles, CA - A spokeswoman for former California governor Gray Davis has issued a statement in which she says he is not related to Jonbenet Ramsey killer John Mark Karr.

"I know that there is a strong resemblence, and they are both very unusually looking men, but there is no familial relationship between the two", said spokeswoman Sandy Allenbricker.

"Mr. Davis wanted to be proactive and quiet the whispering campaign linking him with the accused killer, so I reiterate, there is no familial relationship between Gray Davis and John Mark Karr."

Davis was the first governor in California history to be recalled. Since leaving public office, Davis has been working with the law firm of Loeb & Loeb.

'Meathead Tax' goes down in election

The controversial Proposition 82 "Meathead Tax" was turned down by voters in the Tuesday primary elections.

Named after its proponent, Rob Reiner, who was a character in the 1970s sitcom All in the Family, the tax was to have funded state run preschools.

The measure was voted down with 61% of voters deciding against it.

The proposition has been plagued by scandal, with Reiner coming under scrutiny for his keeping his job with the state First Five Commission while at the same time campaigning for a proposition which would fund state-run preschools.

The attention caused Reiner to resign from his position with the First Five Commission on March 29, 2006. An audit of the commission's funds will be conducted in the face of accusations of misuse of state money for the political campaign for his proposition. Other election results

California students: Stupid or poorly educated?

A few decades ago schools in California provided a world class education.

That is different now, with many students passing through grades K-12 and not even attaining a ninth grade education.

This sad truth has been uncovered with the implementation of exit exams which need to be passed in order to graduate from high school. Several parents filed a lawsuit to eliminate the exit exam, claiming it was so hard that their children were not able to pass.

But how hard was it? Students have multiple guess questions with four possible answers. 60 percent correct answers will pass the English portion, while 55 percent correct will pass the math. So what amounts to a 'D' grade in math and English at the ninth grade level is required to pass the 12th grade and graduate. But this it still to hard for ten percent of students. More

Mark Leno - back with more fun and games

Taking a break from making California a cozy place for child molesters, Mark Leno, representing the 13th Assembly district of California, has decided that unlicensed drivers who kill or maim people deserve a break.

For four years, Russell and Judy Hawthorne worked tirelessly for legislation in the hope that something positive would result from their son's death. But the state Assembly's Public Safety Committee recently voted down AB2808. .

AB2808 proposed lengthening jail times for people who kill or injure someone while driving without a license. Currently, driving without a license is only a misdemeanor offense. The esteemed Mr. Leno is one of the bill's opponents. More

Welcome to Mexifornia

This image of a Mexican national flag flown above an upside-down U.S. flag was taken on 27 March 2006 at Montebello High School (MHS) in California during a student protest over immigration reform.

According to news reports, the flag incident was prompted and implemented not by MHS students, but by a large group of students from neighboring schools:

The incident took place about noon Monday, when a group of about 1,000 students from the El Rancho and Whittier Union High school districts marched through Pico Rivera to Montebello High, where students had walked out of classes in the previous week to protest proposed immigration reform legislation.

By the time they reached Montebello High, the campus was on lockdown, district officials said.

That's when the protesters took to the flagpole, added the Mexican flag and turned the U.S. flag upside down. The school's California flag was stolen in the process, [Assistant Superintendent Robert] Henke said. More

Oceanside school district bans patriotic clothes, flags

Oceanside, California - In the wake of last week's immigration-reform protests, one school district is taking drastic measures, banning all symbols of patriotism, both U.S. and Mexican.

Beginning Monday, the Oceanside Unified School District is banning all flags and patriotic clothing. According to school officials, some students are using the garments and flags to taunt classmates.

School officials in Oceanside now say that flags -- whether they are U.S. or Mexican or any other country's -- have now become a divider on campuses, saying that some students are using them to taunt other students. More

Police fire pepper spray at California high school students

A mob scene unfolded at Oceanside High School on Mission Avenue Wednesday morning when about 200 students tried to leave campus, only to be blocked by police officers toting pepper-spray pellet guns and wearing riot gear.

The scene at the campus subsided as school let out this afternoon and protesting students headed for the Oceanside Bandshell at the beach. Three boys have been arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly throwing chunks of concrete at officers during the incident at the school.

Tensions arose at the school just before noon, when several hundred students tried to leave campus in protest of proposed immigration policies.

Officers shot pepper-spray-filled pellets at the ground as students shook a locked fence surrounding the school. The students were chanting, "One people united will never be divided."

After about an hour of tense standoffs, about 100 students were allowed to walk to the Oceanside Pier in protest while others were locked down in classrooms. More

Still a Meathead

Rob Reiner has come full circle. He first came to fame as a comedic actor with a role as "Meathead" Michael Stivic in the sitcom All In The Family.

Later on he directed several so called romantic comedies (essentially chick porn) which attracted a decent number of viewers.

Now he has gotten involved in politics, trying to do something "for the children" and has shown that he is once again a real meathead.

Reiner has served in recent years as the head of the First 5 California Children and Families Commission, a state group that provides services to young children. It is allocated about $114 million a year from a 1998 voter proposition authorizing a 50-cent tax on cigarettes that he promoted and has raised $4 billion for early childhood development and health care.

The First 5 panel was created by the ballot measure to administer 20% of the tobacco tax money. County commissions oversee the rest. Reiner has headed the First 5 commission since it was formed in 1999.

Reiner's First 5 Children and Families Commission spent $23 million from November to January on TV and radio ads touting the benefits of preschool. At the time, Reiner also was leading a drive to collect signatures for a ballot measure that would tax the wealthy to provide free preschool for 4-year-olds. The proposal qualified for the June 6 statewide ballot as Proposition 82.

So what you are looking at, is Reiner has had control of nearly a billion dollars of taxpayer money, and had used $23 million of it as seed money to get an initiative on the ballot to get even more funds, instead of providing services that the original initiative was sold to do. More

California "Pervert Caucus" give sex offenders a break

While many states are passing tougher laws to deal with sex offenders, particularly offenses against children, California has legislators who wants to let them get off easy.

Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, Jackie Goldberg and Lloyd Levine, both Los Angeles area Democrats, have opposed attempts to impose longer sentences on sex offenders, instead preferring to release them in the communities of the state to see what happens.

Now, in an election year, Leno and many Democrats tout his Assembly Bill 50 as the best way to increase penalties on molesters. Republicans, angry about Sacramento foot-dragging, are touting a much tougher November ballot measure, Jessica's Law.

Early on, AB50 was filled with loopholes that would make your skin crawl. For instance, Leno provided an "exemption" from felony charges if a suspect was caught with less than 100 pieces of child pornography. In a creepy all-time low, Assembly Democrats voted for Leno's plan to go soft on child porn. More

Governor Arnold performs bad motorcycle stunt

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger took a day off from promoting his massive state spending spree to go on a motorcycle ride with his son, and it went very wrong after he was involved in a motorcycle crash near his home in Brentwood on Sunday afternoon.

The movie star-turned-California Governor was out riding on his Harley Davidson bike with his 12-year-old son Patrick in the sidecar when he collided with a car reversing from a driveway.

Schwarzenegger was taken to St John's Hospital in Santa Monica where he received 15 stitches in his lower lip. Patrick was also treated for cuts and bruises. More

Warren Beatty: political hopeful?

During Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's tour to promote his failed ballot propositions, he was shadowed at times by Warren Beatty and Beatty's wife, Annette Bening. Some pundits think Beatty has a crossover political future. Beatty's onscreen political story was done in 1998 with his Bulworth, a political satire about a liberal California senator forced to resort to the right-wing politics of the day to retain his seat. Whether he can become articulate enough to string unscripted senetences together remains to be seen. This hilarious clip, a bit edited, has him rambling on while being interviewed by a radio station reporter. He comes across as sometimes condescending, and a bit of a smartass. Listen

California colleges stick it to Americans from other states,
subsidize illegal immigrants

If you come to California to attend state college, even from just over the state line, you will pay about three times the tuition that someone from in state will pay. But if you come to California from outside the USA, and do so illegally, you get your schooling at the lower rate with the taxpayer picking up the rest of the tab. If you can benefit from this, you owe a dept of gratitude to former governor Gray Davis, who ran a full time operation whoring out the state treasury to anyone who would come into his office bringing financial tribute.

Now this policy is under attack from lawsuits filed recently, alleging it is a violation of federal law. More

Arnold sells out to Agribusiness, compromises on child nutrition

What started as a bill which appropriated $18.2 million for a fresh-fruit breakfast program for low-income students, has morphed into something very different. The bill, unceremoniously re-referred to the Agriculture Committee, had reached the floor with its 12 references to “fresh” fruit and vegetables eliminated and replaced by a dozen references to “nutritious” fruit and vegetables. Lobbyists for the canning industry and the governor’s people, working discreetly behind the scenes, insisted on including canned fruit, which is often heavily adulterated with sugar, under the scope of the bill. More

Dude, Where's my Car?

30,000 state cars have gone missing in California, including half of the CHP units.

Cars and trucks, including fire rigs, prison vehicles and others in the state fleet have been lost by sloppy accounting techniques and mismanagement, as uncovered in a recent audit. More

Smog check program has rampant fraud, 2/3 failure rate at meeting clean air goals

The smog check program was designed in 1982 to identify cars that were running poorly and adding greatly to smog production. In 1995 the program was revamped, the so-called Smog II, and was supposed to more accurately identify pollutor. It failed miserably, and made a typical smog check cost hundreds and require two or more visits. Despite this, no state official has been fired. More

Give me your tired, especially your poor...

Despite false reassurances that they are only taking jobs that Americans rufuse to do, new INS guidelines permit immigrants and their children to use certain non-cash benefits and special purpose cash benefits without affecting their immigration status. More

Illegal Alien Lobby pushes for 'Illegal Alien Driver's Licenses' Bill

Faced with overwhelming public opposition and the passage of the federal REAL ID Act, State Senator Gil Cedillo (D-Los Angeles) has resorted to a watered down version of his perennial legislation to grant official state identity documents to illegal aliens. More

If 'Illegal Alien Driver's Licenses' bill fails, then buy a license

Even if State Senator Gil Cedillo (D-Los Angeles) fails to get his bill to grant official state identity documents to illegal aliens, they still have an option. Buy a licence from the friendly neighborhood DMV. More

Minutemen to reverse Illegal alien tide

The Minutemen, who last month stirred up the illegal immigration issue by exposing the porous nature of our U.S.-Mexican border, are now taking their fight against illegal immigration one step further. This month they will begin working at several area farms and picking their crops of lemons, strawberries and avocados to steal back the jobs that illegal immigrants have stolen from Americans. Radio talk show hosts John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou, "John and Ken" have endorsed this project and plan to do a live broadcast from a strawberry field in Campo, California.

GO TO TOP OF PAGE