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New Year, New Laws: California's 2010 Rulebook
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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'
"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
“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
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?
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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?
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
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
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?!
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
"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
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 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.
Study to test real-world effects of stun gun use raises safety questions 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 "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 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 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 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 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 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 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? 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 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 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 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 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
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
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
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?
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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?
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
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
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
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
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
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
"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
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
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
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
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
|
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. 
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
No driver's license, no car insurance, right? Wrong.
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.
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.
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.
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."
California's flat energy demand is a point of much pride, and the rolling
blackouts of the heady Enron days a matter of shame.
The recession is in full swing, and the travel industry is feeling it
as well.
California's unemployment rate climbed to 11.9 percent in July, the
highest number in modern record-keeping.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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."
CORONA ---- Bombastic radio talk show hosts "John and Ken" lit the fuse.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
LOS ANGELES – California taxpayers have found themselves held hostage
by insane greedy college educated unwed, unemployed mother during a
time of budget crisis.
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.
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.
Multiculturalism has arrived in a small California town in a way that
has gained a lot of attention.
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.
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. 
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
The California state legislature will almost certainly pass a sweeping
water softener ban law very soon, observers say.
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.
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.
With
the state budget far from resolved, the Assembly resumed its summer
vacation Tuesday.
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.
Solving
this year's state budget deficit will require some creative solutions.
Democrats and Republicans agree on that.
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.
A California state senate committee Tuesday unanimously approved a ban
on helium-filled metallic balloons.
California faces an almost certain risk of being rocked by a strong
earthquake by 2037, scientists said in the first statewide temblor forecast.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
BERKELEY,
Calif. - Ari Derfel leads a trashy life. He just wants to remind everyone
else that they do, too.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger says marijuana is not a drug, a British magazine
reported. But his spokesman said the governor was joking.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Nearly
15 years ago, the state of California seized about $25,000 worth of
stock that Richard Valdes had set aside and forgotten about.
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.