California warns companies they may owe use tax -- Over the last six months, California tax officials have quietly mailed thousands of official letters to doctors, beauty salons, insurance agents and other service providers looking for some badly needed state tax revenue. Marc Lifsher in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/29/08
Californians Shape Up as Force on Environmental Policy -- California Democrats will assume pivotal roles in the new Congress and White House, giving the state an outsize influence over federal policy and increasing the likelihood that its culture of activist regulation will be imported to Washington. Lyndsey Layton in the Washington Post -- 12/29/08
Dan Walters: California congressional seats are coveted -- There was a time when California's state legislators believed that they were better off – personally, politically and even financially – than members of Congress. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/29/08
Ban on driver texting among new California laws -- When the clock strikes midnight New Year's Eve, Californians will welcome 2009 and several new laws, including a ban on text messaging while driving, more-detailed labeling on bottled water, and rules to speed responses to oil spills. Wyatt Buchanan in the San Francisco Chronicle Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/29/08
The details about drivers' text-messaging ban -- Legislation signed into law in September by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger amends the handheld cell phone law that took effect July 1 so that it also "prohibits a person from driving a motor vehicle while using an electronic wireless communications device to write, send, or read a text-based communication." Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/29/08
Conservative sees reasons for hope in season of gloom -- John McCain's poor showing in California highlights the dismal health of the GOP. But Mike Spence says it's too soon to write off the party's prospects for the future. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/29/08
Willie Brown explains it all to you -- The former Assembly speaker's recent defense of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, arrested for allegedly trying to sell Barack Obama's now vacant Senate seat, is vintage Brown, say Willie watchers. Maria L. La Ganga in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/29/08
Foreclosure is best option for some owners, analysts say -- Deeply in debt and struggling with rising mortgage payments, many homeowners in slumping markets such as San Diego County are choosing foreclosure as a business decision despite the serious damage it can do to their credit scores. Emmet Pierce in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 12/29/08
Is 2009 the time to buy a home in the Inland Empire? I-- Interest rates are the lowest on record, making it cheaper than ever to get a 30-year fixed mortgage. But is 2009 the time to buy a home in the Inland Empire? That depends on how you look at it. Matt Wrye in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 12/29/08
College-prep courses urged for all students -- A coalition of business and civil rights groups is pushing for all local high school students to enroll in college-prep classes – even if they don't plan to attend college. Chris Moran in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 12/29/08
Latino groups weather increasing college obstacles -- With budget cuts straining California's public colleges and universities, some are worried about the effects on Latinos, who are particularly difficult to recruit to higher education in the best of times. Matt Krupnick in the Contra Costa Times -- 12/29/08
Rough ride for Fresno's Roosevelt High -- Officials strive to keep the school from losing its accreditation this spring. Kerri Ginis in the Fresno Bee -- 12/29/08
Drillers eye oil reserves off California coast -- The federal government is taking steps that may open California's fabled coast to oil drilling in as few as three years, an action that could place dozens of platforms off the Sonoma, Mendocino and Humboldt coasts, and raises the specter of spills, air pollution and increased ship traffic into San Francisco Bay. Jane Kay in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/29/08
Yolo County ranch's sale of water prompts lawsuit threat -- The owners of the vast Conaway Ranch in Yolo County this year sold much of its annual allotment of water to an irrigation district in Central California – prompting the threat of a lawsuit by environmental groups. Mary Lynne Vellinga in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/29/08
Campers prepare for rise in park fees -- The new year won't bring any cheer for Shawn Finney. His “rent” is going up 20 percent on Jan. 1, as county officials increase park and recreation fees to meet rising expenses. Craig Gustafson in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 12/29/
Spanos' revealing letter -- Alex G. Spanos, a Stockton native and billionaire land developer, philanthropist and longtime owner of the National Football League's San Diego Chargers, made a shocking yet poignant admission Sunday. Bob Highfill in the Stockton Record -- 12/29/08
Living near alcohol sellers may affect youth drinking -- Researchers from the Pardee Rand Graduate School in Santa Monica researched the relationship between proximity to alcohol retailers in zones around homes in California and drinking in children ages 12 to 17. They found an association among homes within walking distance (about half a mile) of places selling alcohol and evidence of binge drinking and driving after drinking. Jeannine Stein in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/29/08
San Jose's pension fund loss worse than similar funds -- The nearly $1 billion in losses San Jose's employee pension funds have suffered in the recent market crash were worse than those of similar funds, the city's retirement director says in a report that urges a more experienced board of trustees. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury -- 12/29/08
Inglewood police have repeatedly resorted to deadly force -- A Times investigation shows that the problem of Inglewood police officers shooting unarmed suspects isn't new. Jack Leonard and Victoria Kim in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/29/08
The Army wants more recruits from L.A. -- Staff Sgt. Don Jung sized up the young immigrant shifting nervously before him in a busy office, tucked inside a shopping mall near the USC campus. Alexandra Zavis in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/29/08
At midterm, Dellums faces growing criticism -- Halfway into his tenure as mayor, Ron Dellums' vision for making Oakland a model city - by reducing crime, reforming city government and improving the health and economic well-being of its residents - remains a distant dream. Christopher Heredia in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/29/08
Fewer cops die in line of duty in 2008 -- Fewer police officers died in the line of duty in 2008 compared with last year, reflecting better training and tactics, two law enforcement support groups reported Sunday. Larry Margasak AP -- 12/29/08
Talks today on dispute over unloading ship -- State transportation officials and the contractor hired to build the Bay Bridge's new eastern span called a meeting for this morning with picketing longshore workers, hoping to resolve a tense standoff over a Chinese cargo ship full of steel parts for the bridge. Demian Bulwa in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/29/08
Review probes rescue effort -- When a casino-bound bus rolled over on an isolated Colusa County road in October, rescue workers, ambulances and helicopters from throughout Northern California streamed in to aid dozens of badly injured gamblers. Some helicopters leaving the scene had troubled transits, including one that hovered over UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, low on fuel. The copter was unable to land because the helipad was full. Carrie Peyton Dahlberg in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/29/08
San Jose judge runs unique courts for drug-addicted and mentally ill -- In Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Stephen Manley's chaotic courtroom, the bulletin board tells the story. The thank-you notes. The crayon drawings from grateful children. The Polaroids of former defendants who've regained the ability to smile. Howard Mintz in the San Jose Mercury -- 12/29/08
10 years after shooting death of Tyisha Miller, call for change endures -- Civic and religious leaders marking the 10-year anniversary of the shooting death of Tyisha Miller by Riverside police urged the public Sunday to reignite the fight for law enforcement oversight and independent citizen review of all officer-involved deaths. JANET ZIMMERMAN in the Riverside Press -- 12/29/08
No comments:
Post a Comment