Schwarzenegger's lost year -- For all the A-list democrats Hollywood big shots who packed the 3,332-seat Kodak Theatre early this year to witness presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in their final pre-California-primary debate, only one received a long and loud ovation. That was former Gov. Gray Davis, spotted taking a balcony seat just before the debate, and for an instant upstaging the main event. TIM CAVANAUGH in L.A. Weekly -- 12/26/08
State's budget crisis: Answers to pressing questions -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he wanted a state budget deal by Christmas. Well, it's Christmas. Where's my budget deal? The item is in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/26/08
George Skelton: Lavish spending is not the culprit in California budget crisis -- There's a giant Christmas tree all lit up outside California's Capitol. But inside, the place is hardly filled with tidings of joy. This has not been a season to be jolly. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/26/08
Dan Walters: Capitol posts tend to be family affairs -- Pete Knight, a retired Air Force test pilot who set a speed record in the X-15 rocket plane, was elected to the state Assembly in 1992 and later shifted into the state Senate. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/26/08
Villaraigosa tested in 2008 -- This was a year in which Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa found himself tested on almost every skill he has learned in his years in public life: Devastation with the Metrolink crash and wildfires and having to provide comfort to those who have lost everything - families, homes, possessions; Balancing budgets and facing the prospect of layoffs while continuing to fund the Los Angeles Police Department; Rick Orlov in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 12/26/08
Inland cities lining up for their share of federal funds -- In spite of the dour economy, some Inland cities are going to spend thousands of dollars for lobbyists to take advantage of President-elect Barack Obama's plan to spend up to $750 billion on infrastructure. AARON BURGIN in the Riverside Press -- 12/26/08
Lender alliance Hope Now says it helped 2.2 million keep homes -- The figure, however, does not account for those who may have re-defaulted. More than 50% of loans modified this year were delinquent again within six months, regulators report. Renae Merle in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/26/08
There'll be a dip in the avocado supply -- Too-hot weather at the wrong time this year has caused a shortfall in the California crop. Prices are expected to creep up around late spring. Jerry Hirsch in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/26/08
San Francisco minimum wage rises to $9.79 in 2009 -- San Francisco's labor force will get a small dose of good cheer in the New Year when the city's minimum wage climbs 43 cents to $9.79 an hour. An ordinance approved by city voters in 2003 ties the annual wage increase to the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index, a measure of the average price of goods and services. Robert Selna in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/26/08
Home Front: Advice to walk away from loan draws fire -- No apologies, says Ruben Ramos, owner of a Marysville real estate office. "If people don't think it's a reality, they better wake up." Ramos got attention in real estate circles this week after explaining in Sunday's Bee how he encourages troubled borrowers to walk away from their homes. Jim Wasserman in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/26/08
Stores hope day after is the answer -- Retailers from Nordstrom to Sears, Macy's to JCPenney are opening their doors early today, hoping to salvage sales in a woeful holiday shopping season. Early store openings and extended hours are nothing new for Dec. 26, typically one of the busiest shopping – and return – days of the year. Darrell Smith in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/26/08
Layoff crimps Natomas family's holidays -- A home. That's what a secretarial job at a small nonprofit company meant for 33-year-old Thu Nguyen. Nine months after leaving a bad relationship and ending up living in a car with her two young daughters, Nguyen was finally employed last spring and able to rent an apartment. Robert Lewis in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/26/08
Day laborer jobs dry up in wilting economy -- It had been four days since Francisco Castillo last worked, earning $10 an hour helping a San Jose family move. And the 35-year-old Mexican immigrant wasn't sure when his next job was going to come in at St. Joseph the Worker Center. Jessie Mangaliman in the San Jose Mercury -- 12/26/08
Teacher raises classroom funds selling ad space on exams -- After his classroom budget was slashed by 30 percent, Rancho Bernardo High School teacher Tom Farber saw an untapped opportunity on the bottom of his calculus tests. GARY WARTH in the North County Times -- 12/26/08
A funny thing happened on the way to the SAT -- Comedy writer publishes a humorous book to help students prepare for college entrance exams. Mitchell Landsberg in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/26/
Refinery woes push state gas prices up -- After tumbling for months, gas prices are rising again in California, jumping about 8 cents per gallon in the last week. And this time, you can't blame oil-market speculators or the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/26/08
Sierra Warming: Later snow, earlier melt: High anxiety -- Finally, snow. After weeks of waiting, mountain residents awoke to their first glimpse of winter on Dec. 13, a few fluffy inches of powder that clung to the tops of boulders like chefs' hats. Tom Knudson in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/26/08
High-speed rail optimistic about more funding -- With the economy in recession, California's plan to ask the federal government for billions of dollars to help build the nation's first high-speed rail system might seem like wishful thinking rather than a feasible financial strategy. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/26/08
Transit agencies look to Obama for more funds -- Transit agencies whose perpetual scramble for funding has taken on a new urgency in this economic downturn are hopeful that President-elect Barack Obama's administration will provide the political and financial support needed to shore up and expand the nation's struggling mass transportation systems. Rachel Gordon in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/26/08
Old chemicals found years later in marine mammals -- A new Cal State Long Beach study finds high levels of DDT and PCB in seals and sea lions that died between 1994 and 2006, suggesting possible danger for humans. Andrew Blankstein in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/26/08Firewood sales drop dramatically as Spare the Air law takes hold -- A new law that bans burning wood in fireplaces, stoves and outdoor pits during Spare the Air alerts is dramatically chopping into firewood sales. Ken McLaughlin in the San Jose Mercury -- 12/26/08
Environmental concerns halt state's trout stocking -- The foot-long rainbow trout tumble out of the truck through a translucent tube, flying momentarily through the air before falling into the Lafayette Reservoir. Paul Thissen in the Contra Costa Times -- 12/26/
Sacramento County sales tax funds appear to decline -- Sales tax receipts from July 1 through Sept. 30 are in – and it looks like more bad news for Sacramento County. Sales taxes are a key revenue generator, and along with other funds, localities base their budgets on them. Robert Lewis in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/26/08
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