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California To Run Out Of Cash In One Month, Controller Warns

California will run out of cash by early March if the state does not take swift action to find $3.3 billion through payment delays and borrowing, according to a letter state Controller John Chiang sent to state lawmakers today.

The announcement is surprising since lawmakers previously believed the state had enough cash to last through the fiscal year that ends in June.

But Chiang said additional cash management solutions are needed because state tax revenues are $2.6 billion less than what Gov. Jerry Brown and state lawmakers assumed in their optimistic budget last year. Meanwhile, Chiang said, the state is spending $2.6 billion more than state leaders planned on.

The Assembly budget committee approved a bill today that would enable $865 million of borrowing from existing state accounts, Senate Bill 95. Chiang, after consultation with the Department of Finance and state Treasurer Bill Lockyer, is also seeking about $2.4 billion in delayed payments to universities, counties and Medi-Cal, as well as additional borrowing from outside investors. More

California: the Female State

California is the land of women's rights, feminine empowerment, gender equality and strong female warriors from every walk of life.

Often called "The Female State," California has long been famous for its remarkable women who influence the community, the state, the nation and the entire planet with strength, skill, intuition, determination, confidence, glamor and raw feminine power.

California's strong female role models include entrepreneurs, activists, inventors, mothers, wives, politicians, ministers, designers, soldiers, astronauts, teachers, musicians, CEOs, athletes, philanthropists, judges, pilots, bodybuilders, scientists, producers, evangelists, models, directors, police officers, doctors, nurses, firefighters, mechanics and social leaders.

Of all lands on the earth, California is the one place where a girl is raised to believe she can conquer any obstacle, fulfill any dream, fight every battle and become anything she imagines. More

New laws on shark fins, tanning beds

Hundreds of bills approved by the Legislature and signed by the governor take effect with the start of the new year, including laws banning minors from using tanning beds, raising the age that children must use car booster seats and prohibiting the open carrying of handguns.

The Legislature's work in the last year resulted in 745 new laws, though some already have gone into effect while others will be fully enacted in future years.

In 2010, there were 733 laws enacted. Both years saw significantly fewer new laws than in the past few decades.

Former Gov. Ronald Reagan approved the most laws in any year - 1,821 in 1971, according to the Senate Committee on Governance and Finance, which keeps track of those statistics.

Here are some of the major laws that will go into effect:

Tanning beds: People younger than 18 will be prohibited from using ultraviolet tanning devices, removing the ability of those between ages 14 and 18 to use the devices with parental consent. Doctors can still prescribe the use of the devices when medically necessary. The first-of-its kind in the nation measure is SB746, by Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance (Los Angeles County).

Shark fins: California will ban the importation of shark fins, while fins that already are in the state can be sold and used until July 2013, when a total ban takes effect. The measure is AB376, by Assemblyman Paul Fong, D-Cupertino.

Alcohol sales: Shoppers will be barred from purchasing alcoholic beverages using self-check out registers at supermarkets or other stores. The measure is AB183, by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, D-San Francisco.

Cough medicine: People younger than 18 would be banned from over-the-counter purchases of products that contain dextromethorphan, an ingredient used in many cough medicines that when taken in high doses can cause hallucinations, loss of motor skills and dissociative sensations. The measure is SB514, by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto.

Diversity: Requires that public schools include historical contributions of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, as well as people with disabilities, in social science instruction and teaching materials. The measure is SB48, by Leno.

Handguns: The open carrying of unloaded handguns will be prohibited. The ban does not apply to law enforcement, people permitted to carry loaded weapons in public, or to people selling weapons at gun shows. The measure is AB144, by Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge (Los Angeles County). More

State hopes to break car owners' habit of changing oil too often

California launches a campaign against the widespread notion that oil changes are needed every 3,000 miles. Officials say the practice wastes millions of gallons of oil a year.

Many automobile owners are spending more than they need on motor oil, believing that it should be changed every 3,000 miles even though almost no manufacturer requires such an aggressive oil-change schedule.

The long-held notion that the oil should be changed every 3,000 miles is so prevalent that California officials have launched a campaign to stop drivers from wasting millions of gallons of oil annually because they have their vehicles serviced too often.

"Our survey data found that nearly half of California drivers are still changing their oil at 3,000 miles or even sooner," said Mark Oldfield, a spokesman for the California Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery, which has launched the Check Your Number campaign to encourage drivers to go with the manufacturer's recommendations. More

2 million Californians report mental health needs; most receive little or no treatment

Nearly 2 million adults in California, about 8 percent of the population, need mental health treatment, but the majority receive no services or inadequate services, despite a state law mandating that health insurance providers include mental health treatment in their coverage options, a new report by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research shows.

The report, which provides some of the first comprehensive data in recent years on the mental health of California's adult population, found that one in 12 Californians reported symptoms consistent with serious psychological distress and experienced difficulty functioning at home or at work.

Over half of these adults reported receiving no treatment for their disorders, and about one-quarter received "inadequate" treatment, defined as less than four visits with a health professional over the past 12 months or using prescription drugs to manage mental health needs. More

State says 1,000 care facilities match sex offender addresses

The addresses for more than 1,000 state-licensed care facilities for vulnerable people in California matched addresses on the state sex offender registry, according to a newly released audit.

State Auditor Elaine M. Howle said the California Department of Social Services failed to check the sex offender registry even after her office advised it to do so in 2008.

The facilities matching the registry of sex offenders included foster homes, group homes and day-care facilities for children, as well as facilities for adults with special needs and the elderly.

The auditor informed state regulators of the 1,000 sex offender hits in July. Investigations are now complete and the state said eight licenses have been revoked or suspended and regulators issued 31 orders barring individuals from licensed facilities.

The audit was ordered earlier this year at the request of state Assemblyman Henry Perea (D-Fresno). The audit was also intended to compile data on deaths of children who were under the oversight of child protective services. More

Suit Claims Kids Exposed To High Lead Levels At Disneyland

SANTA ANA, Calif. -- An environmental group filed for an injunction Tuesday to force Disneyland officials to either coat or remove lead on objects and features throughout the park.

Dozens of leaded-glass windows and brass rail chains, door knobs and drinking water fountains at some of Disneyland's most popular attractions expose children to high levels of lead, according to the Mateel Environmental Justice Foundation.

While lead can cause brain damage if ingested, it is not considered toxic to touch.

The foundation filed a lawsuit in Orange County Superior Court in April against Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S. Inc., alleging excessive levels of lead in such commonly touched objects as the Sword in Stone attraction, where Disneyland photographers encourage children to pose while pulling on the sword handle, according to the organization's President William Verick.

Other objects containing lead include brass door knobs at Minnie's House and stained-glass windows in a door at the beauty salon in Cinderella's Castle. More

Repeal of death penalty could save millions of dollars, analysis finds

A nonpartisan analysis of a California ballot initiative to abolish the death penalty found that it could save the state and counties in the "high tens of millions of dollars" every year.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office review of the proposed initiative, which hasn't been cleared for signature gathering yet, put it in the middle of a debate over what the death penalty costs and what should be done about it. Some critics of the death penalty think it actually costs much more than the analysis said, while supporters of capital punishment think executions should be streamlined, not stopped, in order to cut costs.

The initiative was proposed in August after a bill to repeal the death penalty stalled in the state Legislature. In addition to eliminating capital punishment, the measure would require those convicted of murder to work in prison and provide $100 million over four years to local law enforcement to help solve homicide and rape cases. The proposal likely faces a rough road ahead, as a recent Field Poll found a strong majority of Californians want to keep capital punishment, even as an increasing number prefer life in prison without parole. More

Convicted Rapist Who Was Deported Found In Cali

ESCONDIDO, Calif. -- A convicted rapist who was deported to Mexico following his prison sentence was back behind bars Friday after being identified during a traffic stop in Escondido, police said.

Jesus Armando Flores-Trujillo, 29, was convicted of rape in Escondido in 2001 and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was released from prison in October 2010 and immediately deported, according to Escondido police.

About 11:50 p.m. Monday, officers pulled over a vehicle in the area of Centre City Parkway and Felicita Avenue because of a vehicle code violation and found Flores-Trujillo was a passenger in the vehicle, EPD Lt. Craig Carter said.

He identified himself by a false name and admitted to being in the country illegally but stated he had never been deported or arrested, Carter said. More

$69 million in Cali welfare money drawn out of state

Sacramento — More than $69 million in California welfare money, meant to help the needy pay their rent and clothe their children, has been spent or withdrawn outside the state in recent years, including millions in Las Vegas, hundreds of thousands in Hawaii and thousands on cruise ships sailing from Miami.

State-issued aid cards have been used at hotels, shops, restaurants, ATMs and other places in 49 other states, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam, according to data obtained by The Times from the California Department of Social Services. Las Vegas drew $11.8 million of the cash benefits, far more than any other destination. The money was accessed from January 2007 through May 2010.

Welfare recipients must prove they can't afford life's necessities without government aid: A single parent with two children generally must earn less than $14,436 a year to qualify for the cash assistance and becomes ineligible once his or her income exceeds about $20,000, said Lizelda Lopez, spokeswoman for the Department of Social Services. More

California pot shops ordered to shut down within 45 days

The Obama administration is finally cracking down on the medical marijuana industry, in a big way. In letters received by 16 licensed California dispensaries and their landlords this week, U.S. Attorneys threatened to swoop in and seize the properties if they don’t close up shop within 45 days.

The Associated Press said that a coordinated crackdown on the medical marijuana industry would be announced at a press conference on Friday.

The move comes in the same week that the Internal Revenue Service took steps that may force Oakland’s Harborside Health Center, the nation’s largest medical marijuana dispensary, to shut down.

The same enforcement tactic that’s being used against Harborside — a very old law that prohibits groups that traffic in controlled substances from taking tax deductions — could also be used against pot shops in all of the 16 states that have legalized the drug’s use for medical purposes. More

Wiener to Penalize Rude Nudists

SAN FRANCISCO — The right to bare all in San Francisco might soon come with some restrictions under legislation that was proposed at Tuesday afternoon’s Board of Supervisors meeting at City Hall.

The legislation, which was introduced by Supervisor Scott Wiener, would require those going nude to cover public seating before sitting down and put on clothes before entering restaurants.

Wiener’s district includes the Castro, which has seen a recent increase in public nudity, according to his office.

The supervisor said the legislation would ensure that public health standards are maintained by requiring nudists to put a towel or other item between their body and a public seat.

“San Francisco is a liberal and tolerant city, and we pride ourselves on that fact,” Wiener said in a statement. “Yet, while we have a variety of views about public nudity, we can all agree that when you sit down naked, you should cover the seat, and that you should cover up when you go into a food establishment,” he said. More

California Schools Turn Away Unvaccinated Students

California schools are turning away middle and high school students who have not received the whooping cough vaccine.

Students are now required to get the vaccine under a law passed last year after a historic spike in cases of the potentially fatal disease.

The law initially required all students entering grades seven through 12 to get vaccinated by the start of the 2011-2012 school year.

Lawmakers passed a 30-day extension as districts worried many students wouldn't meet the deadline. Students can still attend if their parents file a form saying they oppose vaccines.

San Francisco Unified School District on Thursday began sending home students who arrived without proof of vaccination. More

Cost of high-speed rail project balloons

For two years, the California High-Speed Rail Authority said it could build 520 miles of high-speed train tracks between San Francisco and Los Angeles for about $43 billion.

But that figure – long derided as unrealistic by critics – went off the rails this month when the authority released detailed environmental reports for its proposed Merced-Fresno and Fresno-Bakersfield sections, the first two segments the agency wants to start building next year.

The authority's most optimistic estimates for the San Joaquin Valley sections alone total about $10 billion; route choices could run the price to $13.9 billion.

That's a far cry from the 2009 estimate of $8.1 billion.

If projected costs can rise by as much as 71 percent in the Valley – a relatively flat, straightforward stretch – what will happen when tracks must be built through mountains and across cities in the Bay Area or Southern California? More

Why did a Russian billionaire give Newsom a $400 pen?

Every year, California politicians receive gifts from supporters and friends – sports tickets, bottles of wine, trinkets and other items that by law can be worth no more than $420 apiece. For the most part, the gifts are ignored by the press and the public.

But every so often, one stands out. Why, for example, did someone give a $398 Louis Vuitton pen to Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom?

The pen is interesting not for its value or because there is evidence that it garnered political influence, but because the donor was a shadowy Russian billionaire who has no known connection to his reported address in San Francisco.

After noticing the gift on Newsom’s state disclosure report, California Watch started calling around.

The billionaire is Dmitry Rybolovlev, 44, a businessman and physician from Perm in central Russia. In 2010, he was worth approximately $8.6 billion, according to Forbes magazine – the 79th-richest person in the world. More

LAPD eases impound policy for illegal immigrants

In a move closely watched by other Southern California law enforcement agencies, LAPD Chief Chalie Beck has ordered his officers end the practice of immediately seizing the cars of undocumented immigrants who are stopped at sobriety checkpoints.

The move comes amid concerns that police were unfairly targeting those drivers. The news came as a relief for Maria Ranjel of Boyle Heights. Her husband and three sons are undocumented immigrants who drive all the time, even though they're ineligible to apply for drivers licenses in California.

“We know well that it’s against the law to drive without a license but it’s just because of need that we do it – to take our kids to and from school, to go to and from the market," Ranjel said through a translator. "It’s just too hard to take the bus.”

Ranjel said police repeatedly have stopped her husband and sons at sobriety checkpoints, and impounded their cars. It’s cost the family thousands of dollars. She is part of an activist group called L.A. Voice that’s been lobbying police to ease their impound policies.

Ranjel was elated LAPD Chief Charlie Beck agreed. “I wanted to shout with joy at the news. It’s just good news for the Latino community."

Under the LAPD’s new policy, officers will give unlicensed illegal immigrants “reasonable time” to find someone else to drive their car home. It only applies at sobriety checkpoints and only if the driver isn’t drunk or otherwise wanted by police. More

Why Los Angeles Schoolkids Get Lousy Meals

At 12:33 p.m., the lunch bell rings at Los Angeles High School. Moments later comes the stampede. Kids — 2,000 of them — burst through the cafeteria doors, pushing and shoving, funneled through the serving area like ants in an ant farm.

Among them is Stephanie Hernandez. It's her first day here at the city's oldest public school. She is 17, pretty with long black hair, and as a junior enrolled in the math and science magnet program she spends the entire day on the third floor, away from "the kids who tag and the kids who ditch." The cafeteria, unfortunately, is on the first floor. By the time Hernandez hefts her books and races downstairs, the lunch line is enormous. By the time she gets within arm's reach of the food itself, the bell signaling the end of 30 minutes rings.

Lunch is over. Her empty stomach growls. That afternoon, she can't concentrate. At home, her dad urges her to try again. He's a single father, an electrician, and his income qualifies her for a free, federally subsidized school lunch. More

L.A. County's Private Property War

In Llano, in the middle of the Southern California high desert, a bewhiskered Jacques Dupuis stands in front of what was once his home. His laid-back second wife, Marcelle, her long, silver hair blowing in the breeze, takes a drag on her Marlboro Red as they walk inside and, in thick French Canadian accents, recount the day in 2007 when the government came calling. "That's the seat I have to offer you," she tells a visitor, motioning to the exposed, dusty wooden floor planks in what was once a cozy cabin where Jacques spent much of his life, raising his daughter with his first wife.

On Oct. 17, 2007, Marcelle opened the door to a loud knock. Her heart jumped when she found a man backed by two armed county agents in bulletproof vests. She was alone in the cabin, a dot in the vast open space of the Antelope Valley, without a neighbor for more than half a mile. She feared that something had happened to her daughter, who was visiting from Montreal.

The men demanded her driver's license, telling her, "This building is not permitted — everything must go." Normally sassy, Marcelle handed over her ID — even her green card, just in case. Stepping out, she realized that her 1,000-square-foot cabin was surrounded by men with drawn guns. "You have no right to be here," one informed her. Baffled and shaking with fear, she called her daughter — please come right away. More

Southern Cali Considers Seceding from the Golden State

Is the state of California about to go “South”?

Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Stone apparently thinks so, after proposing that the county lead a campaign for as many as 13 Southern California counties to secede from the state.

Stone said in a statement late Thursday that Riverside, Imperial, San Diego, Orange, San Bernardino, Kings, Kern, Fresno, Tulare, Inyo, Madera, Mariposa and Mono counties should form the new state of South California.

The creation of the new state would allow officials to focus on securing borders, balancing budgets, improving schools and creating a vibrant economy, he said.

“Our taxes are too high, our schools don’t educate our children well enough, unions and other special interests have more clout in the Legislature than the general public,” Stone said in his statement.

He unveiled his proposal on the day Gov. Jerry Brown signed budget legislation that will divert about $14 million in 2011-12 vehicle license fee revenue from four new Riverside County cities. More

California Small Businesses Rise Up Against Proposed Internet Tax

Facing huge budget deficits and still struggling economically, the California assembly has passed an internet tax to increase state revenues.

The proposed bill, ABX1 28, seeks to collect sales tax for goods purchased online by extending the online seller's "nexus" to include affiliate marketers who drive traffic to the seller's site.

Unfortunately, the net effect of the bill would not be to increase tax revenues, but to drive affiliate marketers out of state rather than to jeopardize their ties with retailers like Amazon, who most likely would sever ties with them rather than be forced to collect sales tax.

As the issue rear its ugly head, 25,000 Californian small businesses affected by the proposal made known their opposition to the budget trailer bill. Unlike the internet sales tax proposal dubbed the "Main Street Fairness Act" which would level the online vs. brick and mortar playing field by requiring sales tax to be collected on all internet purchases by residents of states with relevant sales tax, the California bill's extension of nexus would only result in retailers like Amazon dropping Californian affiliates just as they did with Arkansas and Connecticut after "Amazon tax" legislation was passed by those states. More

La Jolla Fireworks: A Legal Dud?

The July 4th fireworks show at La Jolla Cove is at high risk of fizzling out by way of a legal ruling. Its backers and city lawyers went to court Thursday, lobbying to save it.

Unless Judge Linda Quinn changes her mind overnight, the case will go from Superior Court on Broadway to the state Appeals Court on "B" Street.

Environmental activists are willing to let all the concerned parties off the legal hook -- except for the La Jolla Community Fireworks Foundation.

"The notion that we can't celebrate the 4th of July without the fireworks show in La Jolla is absurd," says attorney Marco Gonzalez, representing the Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation, which is challenging the fireworks show. More

Mom Gives 8-Year-Old Daughter Botox

A beautician is boasting that she injects Botox into her 8-year-old daughter's face every three months so she can be a "star."

Kerry Campbell also arranges body waxes for her girl. "I wish that I'd had the same advantages when I was younger," she told the Sun of London.

"I know one day she will be a model, actress, or singer, and having these treatments will ensure she stays looking baby-faced for longer," added Campbell, who is from Birmingham, England, but now lives in San Francisco. More

SF Voters Asked to Ban Circumcision

A ban on circumcision could end up on San Francisco's November ballot.

A voter in the city says he will submit more than 12,000 valid signatures to the elections office today. That's more than the 7,200 needed to get the measure on the ballot.

The proposed new law would make it a misdemeanor to circumcise a person before they are 18-years-old.

"We don't come at this from a religious angle," Lloyd Schofield told the San Francisco Examiner. "We feel this is a very harmful thing. Parents are guardians. They are not owners of children. It's a felony to tattoo a child." The Department of Elections has 30-days to review the signatures and determine if the measure qualifies for the November ballot. More

Los Angeles May Now Require Rainwater Harvesting

Los Angeles has proposed a new water management law that would require rainwater harvesting on all new homes, large developments, as well as on some redevelopment projects. The Department of Public Works unanimously approved the new ordinance in January for the increasingly parched region. It requires various methods to capture, reuse or infiltrate all of the rainwater runoff that is generated by a 3/4 inch rainstorm.

In addition to encouraging the use of rain storage tanks, builders would be required to use other low-cost and sensible water management methods; these include simple measures, like diverting rainfall to gardens, constructed infiltration swales, mulch and permeable pavement, all of which will help to sustainably direct the rain directly where it falls. Any builders who are unable to manage 100% of a project’s runoff on-site would be required to pay a penalty of $13 a gallon for the water that is not safely redirected. This fee will help to fund sustainable off-site water management projects. More

No proof of insurance can result in getting towed

Riverside resident Charles Kolb said he believes that if a driver is stopped by police in California and cannot show proof of car insurance, the driver gets a ticket -- but the vehicle won't be towed.

"The state and police departments will say California is a compulsory insurance state," Kolb wrote in an e-mail. "Not true. Compulsory means two things: mandated and enforced ... No other state that I know of says they are 'compulsory,' yet allows (uninsured people) to continue to drive."

California Highway Patrol spokesman Mario Lopez replied that an officer can "issue a citation to a driver who fails to provide evidence of financial responsibility in accordance with California vehicle code section 16028(a)."

In effect, that section requires drivers to provide proof of insurance on the spot if an officer asks for it.

Section 16029 explains the penalties (fines) for not being able to show proof of financial responsibility, but it also allows courts to impound a car in addition to levying a fine, Lopez said. More

Millions at stake in IRS audit of Oakland medical marijuana dispensary

Harborside Health Center proclaims itself the world's largest marijuana dispensary. For certain, it is California's most ambitious – a holistic care center with a naturopathic physician, acupuncturist, chiropractor, yoga instructors and therapists in "universal life force energy."

Its Oakland facility handles $22 million in annual medical marijuana transactions.

Now Harborside is attracting scrutiny from the Internal Revenue Service. Since last year, the IRS has been auditing 2008 and 2009 federal tax returns for the Oakland location, one of two outlets Harborside operates for 70,000 medical marijuana users. The other facility is in San Jose.

The outcome may eventually establish whether U.S. tax authorities treat medical marijuana as a legitimate enterprise or illicit drug trafficking.

IRS tax code passed during the Reagan administration to keep drug dealers from making business deductions could cost Harborside millions of dollars in tax deductions for salaries, overhead and the expenses of buying and furnishing medical pot. More

Peta holds naked shower protest in Hollywood... and causes car crash

To be fair, it's not something you'd expect to see while driving - even in LA.

Cameras were rolling yesterday when animal rights group Peta caused a car crash during a naked shower protest.

The driver had been distracted by the beautiful, naked models soaping themselves in a makeshift shower on the side of the road.

He ploughed his grey sedan straight into the back of a white pick-up truck at a stoplight in front of him.

CBS cameras captured the entire incident. Fortunately the damage appeared to be minimal, and the only thing wounded seemed to be the driver's pride.

Peta's models were baring all and showering in public to promote a vegan lifestyle. More

California man killed by armed bird at cockfight

DELANO, California - A man who was at an illegal cockfight in central California died after being stabbed in the leg by a bird that had a knife attached to its own limb, officials confirmed Monday.

Jose Luis Ochoa, 35, of Lamont, California, was declared dead at a hospital about two hours after he was injured in neighboring Tulare County on Jan. 30, the Kern County coroner said. An autopsy concluded Ochoa died of an accidental "sharp force injury" to his right calf.

Sheriff's spokesman Ray Pruitt said it was unclear if a delay in seeking medical attention contributed to Ochoa's death.

"I have never seen this type of incident," Sgt. Martin King, a 24-year veteran of the sheriff's department, told the Bakersfield Californian. Ochoa and the other spectators fled when authorities arrived at the scene of the fight, King told the newspaper.

Deputies found five dead roosters and other evidence of cockfighting at the location, he said. More

Cali Taxpayers Paying For Inmates To Send Love Letters

10News discovered California taxpayers are footing the bill for California inmates to send love letters to other inmates.

"It's absolutely insanity," said Nina Ashord of Crime Victims United of California. "From a crime victim's standpoint, I find it extremely offensive and from a tax payer's standpoint."

Some letters described the sex acts female inmates promised to perform on their pen pals.

If an inmate can't afford an envelope, a stamp or paper to write on, the state will pay for it through the indigent mail program.

"I would tolerate that to have people have more appropriate connections that have them live better lives," said Kent Peters, who has corresponded with a death row inmate for 11 years. "The good it does, I'm sure, far outweighs some inmates playing some word games with their loved ones out there." More

Drivers Pulled Over During Cell Phone Sweep

SAN DIEGO -- A year and a half after a state law made hands-free devices a requirement for drivers using a cell phone, law enforcement officers said San Diegans cannot seem to end their old habits.

10News went with a California Highway Patrol officer on Tuesday during its second crackdown on cell phone violators and saw that not all San Diegans are getting the message about the dangers of driving and using their cell phones.

"They're not under the influence, they're 'intexticated,'" said CHP Officer Brian Pennings. "They're under the influence of their phone." More

Obama Administration Supports Drugmakers in Calif. Hospital Prices Suit

Last week, the Obama administration surprisingly sided with pharmaceutical companies accused of overcharging public hospitals and clinics, the New York Times reports.

The administration told the Supreme Court that hospitals and clinics cannot sue drug companies for increased drug discounts or to obtain reimbursement from companies that overcharge. Oral arguments in the case are scheduled for Jan. 19.

Details on Drug Discounts

The case involves a suit filed by Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties against AstraZeneca and other drugmakers.

A drug-discount program was created in 1992 as a way for federal officials to regulate agreements with drug companies and set maximum prices for drugs sold to certain health care providers, including

* Children's hospitals;
* Community health centers;
* Family-planning clinics; and
* Safety-net hospitals.

More than 15,000 U.S. hospitals and clinics participate in the discount program, which slashes prescription drug prices by up to 50%. More

Cali Drivers Face Higher Traffic Fines In 2011

California motorists, already in sticker shock over rising fines for parking and traffic tickets, should prepare for more beginning New Year’s Day, The Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

The state is adding $4 to the price of every traffic ticket. The fee will pay for emergency air transport services because of a revenue shortfall in Medi-Cal funding. It is set to generate an estimated $34 million a year through 2016, according to state estimates, The Times reported.

The increase is the latest in a string of fee increases statewide and in Los Angeles, as governments turn to motorists to pay more amid budget problems. Last year, the state increased the fines for traffic tickets and used the proceeds to help renovate courthouses. The changes included a $35 surcharge on traffic tickets, the newspaper reported.

Another law taking effect Saturday opened the door to a potential revenue stream for cities: allowing local agencies to install cameras on street sweepers to catch parking violators. More

By 2036 'Subway to the Sea' Still Won't Reach the Beach

It's hard to call the Westside Subway Extension project the "Subway to the Sea" if it's only slated to go as far as Westwood.

With the expensive, massive, long-term project being funded and built in increments, we're already going to have to wait until 2036 (quick, do the math, add 25 years to your current age) to be able to get off the train at the VA.

LA Times columnist Steve Lopez takes on the topic, bemoaning the fact that it's not likely that in his lifetime he can get on a subway in Los Feliz with his beach gear and hop off in the sand, ready to take on the Pacific's waves.

Lopez points out a classic Los Angeles transit fail parallel:

"We've got a train to the airport that doesn't go all the way to the airport, so why not a train to the ocean that barely makes it to the marine layer?" More

Los Angeles Wants To Tax Medical Marijuana

Should the city of L.A. tax your medical weed? In these hard times, it could certainly use the cash. But would it be legal?

After all, the state's medical marijuana law didn't really anticipate the kind of for-profit pot sales that L.A. dispensaries are known for. Under the law cannabis was really supposed to be shared among "seriously ill" members of nonprofit "collectives."

In L.A. that notion has been stretched to the legal limit -- so far that District Attorney Steve Cooley has said almost all the dispensaries in the city are illegal. So the city's going to tax that?

Yep, says Councilwoman Janice Hahn, who proposed $50 in city sales taxes on every $1,000 of "cash and in-kind contributions" to dispensaries for pot. More

School Forces Boy To Take Flag Off Bike

DENAIR, Calif. -- A Stanislaus County school is forcing a student to take an American flag off of his bike.

Thirteen-year-old Cody Alicea put the flag there as a show of support for the veterans in his family. But officials at Denair Middle School told him he couldn't fly it. He said he was told some students had complained.

So now the eighth-grader folds up the flag and puts it in his backpack while he is in class.

His father, Robert Kisner, said his son should not have to put the flag away. "He's got that flag on his bike because he's proud of where he comes from," Kisner said.

But the superintendent said he's trying to avoid tension on campus.

"(The) First Amendment is important," Superintendent Edward Parraz said. "We want the kids to respect it, understand it, and with that comes a responsiblity." More

Overestimate fueled state's landmark diesel law

California grossly miscalculated pollution levels in a scientific analysis used to toughen the state's clean-air standards, and scientists have spent the past several months revising data and planning a significant weakening of the landmark regulation, The Chronicle has found.

The pollution estimate in question was too high - by 340 percent, according to the California Air Resources Board, the state agency charged with researching and adopting air quality standards.

The estimate was a key part in the creation of a regulation adopted by the Air Resources Board in 2007, a rule that forces businesses to cut diesel emissions by replacing or making costly upgrades to heavy-duty, diesel-fueled off-road vehicles used in construction and other industries. More

Experts: Mystery contrail off CA was from Chinese missile

Although the U.S. Defense Department and North American Aerospace Defense Command have speculated publicly that the unidentified contrail of a projectile soaring into the skies off the California coast – and recorded by a KCBS television crew – came from a jet and posed no security threat to the U.S., several experts are raising provocative and disturbing questions about the government's official response, reports Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.

Two governmental military experts with extensive experience working with missiles and computer security systems have examined the television video and conclude the mysterious contrail originating some 30 miles off the coast near Los Angeles did not come from a jet – but rather, they say the exhaust and the billowing plume emanated from a single source nozzle of a missile, probably made in China.

They further suggest the missile was fired from a submerged Chinese nuclear submarine off America's coast, and point out that the timing of the alleged Chinese missile shot coincided with an increasing confrontation between the U.S. and China. More

Lawyer sues over attending male retreat

A lawyer is suing a Newport Beach lawsuit firm, alleging that his employers stopped paying him because he didn't want to attend a personal-development seminar during which men talk about their sex lives.

A partner at the personal injury firm, Bisnar/Chase, said Friday that the lawsuit is a frivolous claim filed by a former employee seeking money.

Steven C. Eggleston filed the lawsuit in August against the firm and its partners, John Bisnar and Brian Chase. Eggleston – who became an employee in July 2009 – alleges the firm stopped giving him monthly wages after he refused to attend a "New Warrior Training" seminar in February organized by the global nonprofit group, The Mankind Project.

Eggleston said he did a Google search on the group, and learned that men revealed their intimate encounters during the retreats, which are held in remote areas, according to the lawsuit. One activity involved participants sitting naked in a circle and passing around a wooden phallic symbol, the lawsuit added. More

Prop 19 goes up in smoke

Voters in California rejected a proposal Tuesday that would have legalized small amounts of recreational marijuana.

If approved, under Proposition 19, the state would have been the first to say it is OK to use and possess marijuana for anything other than medical purposes. California legalized medical marijuana 14 years ago and was the first state to do so.

The newest proposal would have allowed people in California who are 21 and older to carry less than an ounce of pot and cultivate the plants on up to 25 square feet of private land. Marijuana would have still been illegal under federal law. More

California may back new state debt with marijuana taxes if proposition 19 legalizing the drug passes, according Amy Resnick of Bond Buyer.

Resnick cites attendees at California Public Finances Conference who are suggesting the market would accept the plan, if it is legalized.

Resnick's tweet:

Cal. Public Finance Conf. attendees say if Prop.#19 passes, the market will accept bonds backed by marijuana taxes.

Add another reason to the growing list for California to pass Proposition 19. More

Companies fleeing Cali for Utah over confiscatory tax rate

Computer software giant Adobe, computer game monster EA Games, and Internet auction king ebay are abandoning California to set up shop in Utah. Why? California’s horrid business climate and high taxes.

Adobe Systems, maker of a suite of graphics programs such as Adobe PDF, Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign, have announced that they are building a $100 million facility in either Salt Lake City or in nearby Utah County, Utah. The facility will bring thousands of jobs to Utah over the next few decades.

In May the Internet auction company ebay also announced a major new facility to be built in Salt Lake City. The $287 million data center will also bring hundreds of new jobs to the Bee Hive State.

Not to be forgotten, games maker Electronic Arts opened its new facility in July in Salt Lake City where around 100 employees are already at work. More

RVs Dumping Human Waste on Venice Streets

VENICE, Calif. - Authorities in Venice have removed about a dozen RVs from one neighborhood after complaints about human waste being dumped on the street.

HazMat crews cleaned up the area around Rose and Third avenues Tuesday night after receiving complaints from Venice residents and activists.

The LAPD then made the owners of about 12 RVs move them out out of the area.

A local activist known as "Boston Dawna" said no one was cited. She said the RVs were back in the same spots by Wednesday morning.

A woman who allegedly uncapped a sewage tank on an RV on Pacific Avenue near Fleet Street, letting waste spill out as her partner drove the vehicle, was arrested over the weekend. More

Bikers Make Noise On Quiet Motorcycle Bill

CALABASAS, Calif. -- The laid-back vibe of this affluent Los Angeles suburb gets a jarring wakeup on weekends when hundreds of motorcycles thunder through the Santa Monica Mountains, triggering car alarms, rattling windows and jolting alive barking dogs.

"They rev their engines with complete disregard for the people who live here," complained neighborhood resident Tonia Aery. "It's obnoxious."

Aery's wish for peace and quiet could come true after the state Senate passed a bill this month that would make it a motor vehicle violation to ride a roaring hog. The only catch is that the decision now falls to the state's biker-in-chief, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, an avid motorcyclist.

Schwarzenegger's fellow riders - still bitter over an 18-year-old state law requiring helmets - are hoping he'll veto the law. More

Cowboy Fire started by two illegal immigrants

Campo, Calif. – The Cowboy Fire, which has burned 822 acres, was started by two illegal immigrants who were in distress, Cal-Fire reports.

“They called C4, which is Mexico’s emergency dispatch system, and advised them that they had been lost for two days, were stranded, dehydrated, and were going to light a signal fire to attempt to get some help,” said Roxanne Provaznik, public information officer for Cal-Fire.

The information was relayed to the U.S. Border Patrol. CAL FIRE worked with Border Patrol agents to try and locate the two individuals, but were unsuccessful. Investigators from CAL FIRE and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service determined that there was evidence near the area of origin of illegal aliens traveling through that area, which supports this report. More

CHP Officer Sentenced For Ramming Wife's Car

VISTA, Calif. -- A Highway Patrol officer who was off-duty when he drove drunk and rammed his wife's car in Oceanside pleaded guilty Tuesday to misdemeanor DUI and reckless driving charges and was sentenced to five years probation.

As part of his probation, Armando Arriaga, 46, was ordered to have no negative contact with his wife and to perform 10 days of public work service and 100 hours of community work service, said Deputy District Attorney Keith Watanabe. Arriaga pleaded guilty before Vista Judge Richard Mills, who immediately sentenced the defendant.

The prosecutor said at a hearing last month that Arriaga was driving under the influence of alcohol when he followed his wife down North Coast Highway about 7 p.m. on July 7, after they had an argument at home. More

Suffer These Crimes in Oakland? Don't Call the Cops

Oakland's police chief is making some dire claims about what his force will and will not respond to if layoffs go as planned.

Chief Anthony Batts listed exactly 44 situations that his officers will no longer respond to and they include grand theft, burglary, car wrecks, identity theft and vandalism. He says if you live and Oakland and one of the above happens to you, you need to let police know on-line.

Some 80 officers were to be let go at midnight last night if a last-minute deal was not reached. That's about ten percent of the work force.

"I came here to build an organization, not downsize one," said Batts, who was given the top job in October. More

Del Mar firm signs deal for Mexican wind farm

A Del Mar company said Wednesday it plans to spend up to $1 billion to build as many as 500 wind turbines on the mountains between Tijuana and Mexicali to provide power to the United States and Mexico.

Cannon Power Group said it signed a 10-year deal with Spanish wind giant Gamesa for the wind turbines, technical support and additional work on the 1,000-megawatt Aubanel Wind Project.

If built as planned beginning next year, the project will dwarf wind farms proposed for the mountains of San Diego County and will put towers as high as 25-story buildings with blades bigger than the wings of a Boeing 747 on desert ridges in a region of striking wind-carved rock formations spread over 140 square miles.

Cannon has built wind farms in California, he said, but getting permits got so difficult that it is focused on building elsewhere. It still sells power into the state to take advantage of California rules that require a certain percentage of electricity to come from the sun, the wind and other renewable sources. More

'In-N-Out' hometown bans new drive-through restaurants

BALDWIN PARK, Calif. — The birthplace of California's drive-through craze has had its fill of fast food restaurants.

Amid complaints of obesity and lines of idled cars stretching into neighborhood streets, this blue-collar town is banning new drive-throughs in hopes of shedding its reputation as a haven for convenient, fatty foods.

It's an ironic development for a community that proudly claims to have opened California's first drive-through restaurant more than 60 years ago — a little joint named, appropriately enough, In-N-Out.

"We here in Baldwin Park have taken strides to create a healthy community, and allowing one more drive-through in is not going to meet that goal," said Baldwin Park city planner Salvador Lopez, who helped craft the ordinance that takes effect Fourth of July weekend. More

Worm-poop claims fertile grounds for lawsuit

Are worm feces fertilizer or pesticide? For Encinitas entrepreneur George Hahn, it's the $100,000 question.

Hahn says his Worm Gold, Worm Gold Plus and Tree Rescue Solution, which are primarily made from worm castings, enrich the soil and enable plants to repel bugs. But the California Department of Pesticide Regulation says that claim makes Worm Gold a pesticide, and Hahn has failed to get government approval to sell the products as pesticides.

Last year, the pesticide department fined Hahn $100,000 for not getting approval. It has put that penalty on hold pending the outcome of a lawsuit filed in Sacramento County Superior Court. The suit was filed on his behalf by the free market-oriented Pacific Legal Foundation, and is to be heard July 30 by Judge Timothy M. Frawley. The First Amendment right to free speech is at stake, says the foundation, because Hahn is making a truthful claim. More

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