POLICY & POLITICS
$56,000 Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowships
Deadline Fast Approaching! (Feb. 28)
The Maddy Institute
Through the generosity of The Wonderful Company, San Joaquin Valley students will have the opportunity to become the next generation of Valley leaders through The Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship. This program helps students obtain an advanced degree from a top graduate program, return home, and apply what they have learned to help make the Valley a better place.
North SJ Valley:
Former sheriff to fill Merced interim police chief seat
Fresno Bee
A former Merced County Sheriff Tom Cavallero will serve as the Merced Police Department’s interim chief, city officials announced Monday.
New ‘San Joaquin Votes: Exercise Your Right!’ exhibit offers perfect time to visit SJ museum
Stockton Record
Visitors to the exhibit will learn the history of various political parties, the election process, political districts, types of ballot measures, women’s suffrage and historical political campaigns of San Joaquin County.
Central SJ Valley:
Measure P 2.0? A new effort is underway to fund both parks and public safety in Fresno
Fresno Bee
Fresno’s leading mayoral candidates asked how they come down on Fresno’s parks vs. public safety debate after Measure P in 2018. It turns out Jerry Dyer and Andrew Janz might not have to choose.
See also:
5 things you won’t want to miss at 2020 World Ag Expo
Visalia Times Delta
The 2020 World Ag Expo kicks off Tuesday in Tulare. Despite some concerns around the spread of a new and deadly strain of coronavirus, more than 100,000 attendees from around the world are expected to flock to the International Agri-Center and Central Valley over the next three days.
See also:
The many uses of hemp explained at the World Ag Expo Fresno Bee
Three World Ag Expo top 10 products come from the Valley Business Journal
Clovis Community College #1 in California for students transferring to UC, CSU
abc30
Clovis Community College students are setting goals from day one. For schools of their size, Clovis Community is the number one college in the state for the number of students that transfer to a UC or a CSU.
Fresnoland at The Bee: Reporting team to go deep on land use, water, housing, neighborhoods
Fresno Bee
Announcing a partnership between The Fresno Bee and Fresnoland Media – a local nonprofit – that adds four journalists who will deeply cover land use, water, housing and neighborhood opportunity.
South SJ Valley:
Supervisors to consider tightening research requirements for hemp producers
Bakersfield Californian
In the wake of what should have been a blockbuster drug bust, the Kern County Board of Supervisors will consider implementing new regulations on hemp production.
Residents raise concerns over Avenal landfill
Hanford Sentinel
The community of Avenal is looking to the city for answers regarding a landfill they say is detrimental to the health of residents.
State:
Judge stalls Uber, Postmates challenge to California job law
Porterville Recorder
A federal judge on Monday refused to exempt ride-hailing company Uber and on-demand meal delivery service Postmates from a broad new California labor law while she considers their lawsuit.
See also:
California workers blame new labor law for lost jobs. Lawmakers are scrambling to fix it Sacramento Bee
Judge denies Uber, Postmates request to halt AB5 enforcement San Francisco Chronicle
From horse handlers to tutors, California gig law AB5 frustrates contractors San Francisco Chronicle
CalMatters
On Jan. 8, Newsom issued an executive order that tasked state agencies with evaluating excess land for use as possible emergency homeless shelters.
A Twist in California’s Homeless Crisis: Evictions by the Evicted
New York Times
As rents skyrocket, more homeless people are trying to find work, even if it means becoming part of the process that forces people out of their homes.
CalMatters
California is the first state in the nation to ban the practice of charging parents for the cost of their children’s time in the juvenile justice system. But its new law, enacted in 2018, doesn’t require counties to forgive fees that parents were charged before 2018.
Opinion: With Gov. Newsom’s new budget, California seeks to help all regions rise
CalMatters
When Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled his proposed budget, he reaffirmed a deeply held belief that some of California’s best work happens at the regional scale. We are, he said, “many parts but one body,” and laid out proposals for major investments in regional economic development and inland California.
Gavin Newsom says Dem governors have 'deep anxiety' over rise of Bernie Sanders, Michael Bloomberg
San Francisco Chronicle
Newsom was asked about the Democratic presidential race and said there's a "deep anxiety" among Democratic governors that the party could soon be engulfed in a "civil war."
Law gives California residents new privacy rights
abc30
From where you like to shop to where you live, companies have been turning your personal data into big profits for years. But to start this year, the California Consumer Privacy Act gives California residents, and perhaps millions of others, new privacy rights.
Texas sues California over state travel ban, dismissing LGBT protection law as ‘political’
Fresno Bee
The lawsuit targets a 2017 California law known as Assembly Bill 1887. The law prohibits public agencies and colleges from spending state money on travel to states that reduce protections for gay and transgender people.
See also:
California Democrat proposes ban on taxpayer-funded stays at Trump hotels
Sacramento Bee
A Silicon Valley Democrat wants to make sure California doesn’t spend any more taxpayer money at President Donald Trump’s hotels.
Federal:
What Trump’s proposed 2021 budget says about his policy priorities
PBS
President Donald Trump released a 2021 budget proposal Monday that calls for cuts to social safety net programs.
See also:
Trump unveils $4.8-trillion budget that resurrects rejected cuts Los Angeles Times
Trump’s $4.8 Trillion Budget Would Cut Safety Net Programs and Boost Defense New York Times
Trump budget proposes ending public service student loan forgiveness program The Hill
Trump proposes $4.8 trillion election-year budget with big domestic cuts Washington Post
Trump Proposes $4.8 Trillion Budget, With Cuts to Safety Nets Wall Street Journal
Democrats preview election-year attacks on Trump budget Roll Call
Annual budget release triggers annual budget politics Roll Call
Trump hits Medicaid, food stamps in push to slash domestic spending Politico
Hiltzik: Trump’s budget proposal shreds Social Security and Medicaid benefits Los Angeles Times
Donald Trump Promised to Eliminate the Deficit in 8 Years. So Far, He Has Increased it by 68%
Newsweek
During the 2016 campaign, President Donald Trump made an aggressive promise on federal finances: He would eliminate the budget deficit within eight years. Now, three years into his presidency, the deficit is 68% higher than when he started.
See also:
Justice Department brings new suits over sanctuary policies
Fresno Bee
The Justice Department ratcheted up legal pressure Monday on local governments over “sanctuary” policies that hinder federal immigration officers, bringing two new lawsuits and launching a coordinated messaging campaign to highlight an election-year priority of President Donald Trump.
See also:
Justice Department files lawsuits over immigration ‘sanctuary’ policies Los Angeles Times
Trump administration goes to war with states over immigration Politico
Justice Dept. Sues Over Sanctuary Laws in California, N.J. and Seattle New York Times
Latino group say Census must dispel doubts on citizenship
Porterville Recorder
A prominent Latino organization said Monday the U.S. Census Bureau needs to explicitly communicate there will be no citizenship question ahead of the 2020 count —— or risk undercounting minority groups.
Elections 2020:
What candidates are saying about California issues
Visalia Times Delta
We asked the 2020 presidential candidates questions on four California-related topics including wildfires, housing and aging. Each candidate was given the same set of questions to answer within a specific timeframe.
See also:
Presidential candidates to California’s small donors: Give us our daily bread crumbs CalMatters
California's primary looms large — just like state officials had hoped Politico
2020 Democrats struggle to narrow the field as New Hampshire prepares to vote
Fresno Bee
Democrats' hopes that New Hampshire voters might bring clarity to the chaotic fight for their party's presidential nomination were fading Monday as the state's primary election neared, with the wide swath of voters seeking a moderate candidate continuing to resist coalescing behind any one contender.
See also:
Snow and cold target New Hampshire primary. Will it hurt any 2020 Democrats’ chances? Fresno Bee
How crucial is New Hampshire win? It depends on whom you ask Stockton Record
The Eve Of The New Hampshire Primary, And More From The Campaign Trail Capital Public Radio
With hours to go, New Hampshire primary voters just can’t make up their minds Los Angeles Times
Klobuchar gets a moment — and hopes she can make it last
Washington Post
People often say candidate debates don't make much difference in presidential campaigns. Don't tell that to Amy Klobuchar. The Minnesota senator's performance on Friday night was like a switch being flipped for her campaign.
Garofoli: President Pete Buttigieg: Here’s what it would mean for California
San Francisco Chronicle
Pete Buttigieg often asks people at his rallies to picture the day “when the sun comes up and Donald Trump’s not the president.” It’s how Buttigieg explains that he represents a new direction for the country.
Pete Buttigieg, Bernie Sanders campaigns request Iowa caucus recanvass
Los Angeles Times
Sen. Bernie Sanders’ and Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaigns filed requests Monday for a partial recanvass of the results of Iowa’s Democratic caucuses.
Michael Bloomberg Unveils Plan for ‘Broken’ Immigration System
Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg proposed an immigration plan similar to proposals from his moderate Democratic presidential rivals that includes reversing President Donald Trump’s policies, creating a path to U.S. citizenship for undocumented residents and allowing “place-based” visas.
See also:
As Bernie Sanders stumps in New Hampshire, his surrogates canvass California
San Diego Union-Tribune
This campaign “is not about Bernie,” said a surrogate for presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. “It’s about us! Us!”
See also:
Tracking poll: Sanders expands lead in March 3 primary Capitol Weekly
Opinion: Why the 2020 primary may still be a really long, hard slog
Washington Post
The most persuasive case that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is now the clear favorite for the Democratic nomination goes like this: Sanders is emerging as the clear progressive front-runner, even as the battle for the mantle of leading moderate is still hopelessly muddled.
Opinion: Joe Biden Is Unfit for the Democratic Nomination
National Review
Four years ago, I believed that Joe Biden had missed his opportunity to be president. He would have matched up well against Trump in 2016 for several reasons: He had more appeal than Hillary Clinton to voters who swung from Obama to Trump to avoid her, and a kind of lightness of spirit she could never approach.
Other:
3 historians on American political divisiveness -- and how to heal it
PBS
The partisan results of President Trump’s Senate impeachment trial reinforced the political divisions characterizing current American politics. How does this moment compare with the past?
Opinion: Technology, tribalism, and truth
Brookings
The technology debacle at the Iowa Caucus reinforces a national cynicism that nothing seems to work. Iowa was a digital age mishap, but the effects of the collision of digital technology and democracy extend beyond the Hawkeye state.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, February 16, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: Policing the Police - Guests: Laurel Rosenhall with CALmatters, Ron Lawrence with California Police Chiefs Association, and Alice Hoffman with California Chapter, NCAAP. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, February 16, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: Police Use of Deadly Force: Valley Perspectives - Guests: Clovis Police Chief Curt Fleming and Sandra Celedon, President & CEO of Fresno Building Healthy Communities. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, February 16, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: Fighting Fire with Fire: Rethinking Forest Management - Guests: Little Hoover Commission Representative, Julissa Delgado. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
5 things you won’t want to miss at 2020 World Ag Expo
Visalia Times Delta
The 2020 World Ag Expo kicks off Tuesday in Tulare. Despite some concerns around the spread of a new and deadly strain of coronavirus, more than 100,000 attendees from around the world are expected to flock to the International Agri-Center and Central Valley over the next three days.
See also:
The many uses of hemp explained at the World Ag Expo Fresno Bee
Three World Ag Expo top 10 products come from the Valley Business Journal
Valley restaurant owners trying to stay up to date with latest trends
abc30
Running a restaurant is harder than it looks. When you consider rising labor and food costs, most restaurants fail within the first year.
Why Many Organic Farmers ‘Didn’t Notice the Trade War’
Pew Trusts
Organic farmer Joel Layman stands on his farm in Berrien Center, Michigan. Layman says he and his peers have not been affected by the trade war as severely as farmers in conventional agriculture because organic is more embedded in the local community and not as reliant on exports.
EDITORIAL: Don’t have a cow: California’s attempts to control vegan language are a waste of time
Sacramento Bee
You don’t have to embrace a plant-based diet to see the ridiculousness of the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s bullying attack on Miyoko’s Creamery. The department has ordered the small Sonoma County company, which makes non-dairy, vegan cheese and butter, to stop labeling its products as such.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Valley residents arrested for alleged welfare fraud. Investigations continue
Fresno Bee
Twenty-one people across the central San Joaquin Valley have been arrested for alleged welfare fraud last week by criminal investigators with the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office.
See also:
Over twenty people arrested for welfare fraud in Tulare County Porterville Recorder
Quarantine shrinking, inmates coming to court despite mumps in jail
abc30
The mumps quarantine at the Fresno County jail is slowly shrinking, but attorneys claim the county's response reveals how poorly it would handle a more serious illness.
Court: A state must provide gender-confirmation surgery to inmate
San Francisco Chronicle
A federal appeals court in San Francisco on Monday affirmed its ruling ordering a state to provide gender-confirmation surgery to a transgender inmate. Ten Republican-appointed judges dissented, including the court’s first openly gay judge.
With Cybercriminals on the Attack, States Help Cities Punch Back
Pew Trusts
As cybercriminals increase their attacks against local governments — hundreds of municipalities and county agencies were hit in the past two years — some states are helping cities and counties better protect themselves.
Four in Chinese military charged with hacking U.S. credit files
Roll Call
The U.S. Justice Department on Monday charged four Chinese military officials for hacking into credit reporting firm Equifax in 2017 and stealing information on about 150 million Americans.
ProPublica
More than 14 million taxpayers paid for tax prep software last year that they could have gotten for free, according to a scathing audit released Wednesday by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
Public Safety:
Former sheriff to fill Merced interim police chief seat
Fresno Bee
A former Merced County Sheriff Tom Cavallero will serve as the Merced Police Department’s interim chief, city officials announced Monday.
Tune in to see Stanislaus sheriff’s K-9 team compete on ‘America’s Top Dog’ this week
Modesto Bee
Set your DVRs and ready your “atta boys.” A team from the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department is set to compete on “America’s Top Dog” this week.
Oakhurst CHP Seeking Applicants for Senior Volunteer Program
Sierra News
Looking for something interesting and meaningful to do in retirement? Are you 55 years or older, with no felony convictions and good moral character? If so, the California Highway Patrol Oakhurst Area office is currently accepting applications for its Senior Volunteer Program.
CalMatters
California is the first state in the nation to ban the practice of charging parents for the cost of their children’s time in the juvenile justice system. But its new law, enacted in 2018, doesn’t require counties to forgive fees that parents were charged before 2018.
Fire:
PG&E wants more money to ‘harden’ California against wildfire. Your bill could go up
Modesto Bee
PG&E Corp. is asking for more rate hikes as it continues to wrestle with the fallout from California’s devastating wildfires and the risks of new fires.
See also:
PG&E seeks $1.B rate hikes for fire prevention, insurance costs San Francisco Chronicle
SoCal Edison pays $900,000 in 2014 fire settlement
Visalia Times Delta
Southern California Edison is paying up after claims its negligence is to blame for the 2014 Way Fire in Wofford Heights in Kern County.
See also:
Southern California Edison pays $900,000 for damages stemming from 2014 Way Fire in Kern County Bakersfield Californian
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Sierra Star
To paraphrase Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell, “Oakhurst, we have a problem!” Anyone who has traveled along Highway 41 the past few weeks has endured the traffic congestion caused by the need to replace sewer lines to allow for the growth that has come and will continue to come.
Americans say they feel like this is the best economy since the late 1990s
Washington Post
Americans increasingly rate this as the best economy since the late 1990s, with a recent surge in optimism, even though many economic metrics show striking similarities to the final years of the Obama administration.
See also:
Opinion: Is Trump’s rosy new economic forecast really doable? AEI
Technology companies and retailers lead stocks higher Los Angeles Times
Trump's trade war is making Americans' incomes decrease, government report says
Salon
President Donald Trump's trade war is projected to reduce the average family's real income by $1,277, according to a new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
Jobs:
Judge stalls Uber, Postmates challenge to California job law
Porterville Recorder
A federal judge on Monday refused to exempt ride-hailing company Uber and on-demand meal delivery service Postmates from a broad new California labor law while she considers their lawsuit.
See also:
California workers blame new labor law for lost jobs. Lawmakers are scrambling to fix it Sacramento Bee
Judge denies Uber, Postmates request to halt AB5 enforcement San Francisco Chronicle
From horse handlers to tutors, California gig law AB5 frustrates contractors San Francisco Chronicle
Seeking a More Worker-Friendly Economy, Some States Push Employee Ownership
Pew Trusts
Polis and others who back employee-ownership — a term that can mean everything from cooperatives to stock options — say that sharing ownership can improve pay and working conditions, reduce wealth inequality and give retiring entrepreneurs another way to pass on their companies.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Local schools advance to state Mathcounts competition
Bakersfield Californian
Mathcounts is a nationwide mathematics enrichment and competition program with a mission to increase enthusiasm for and achievement in mathematics in sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students across the country.
Improving Statistical Literacy in Schools
US Census Bureau
Statistics in Schools (SIS) brings school subjects to life using real-world Census Bureau statistics to create materials for use year after year at all grade levels.
College costs, teacher shortage still top concerns in poll of California voters
EdSource
Reducing gun violence, making college more affordable and addressing the teacher shortage again are on the minds of California voters, who also said they would support raising teachers’ pay and spending more for schools.
EDITORIAL: California can’t account for billions of education dollars
Mercury News
State spending on schools has increased about 50%. But, as state Auditor Elaine Howle explained in a troubling report last month, there is no way to track whether money is being spent as it should.
Opinion: Pre-K won’t work in Clark County School District
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Pre-K has a decadeslong record of failure. Not a good sign, then, that Jesus Jara is pushing for its expansion throughout the Clark County School District.
High school students benefit from taking college courses, but access uneven in California
EdSource
At least 1 in 8 California high school seniors take community college courses while still in high school, an increasingly popular strategy that gives students a head start on their college careers, and has been shown to boost both high school and college graduation rates
Higher Ed:
Clovis Community College #1 in California for students transferring to UC, CSU
abc30
Clovis Community College students are setting goals from day one. For schools of their size, Clovis Community is the number one college in the state for the number of students that transfer to a UC or a CSU.
CSUB’s Kegley Institute of Ethics announces 2020-2021 faculty fellows
Bakersfield Californian
The Kegley Institute of Ethics at Cal State Bakersfield announced its faculty fellows Monday, according to a news release.
Understanding the Cost of College in California
California Budget & Policy Center
There is increasing recognition in California and nationally that the financial aid students receive to attend college should address the cost of attendance beyond tuition and fees, since living expenses – particularly housing expenses – often make up the largest share of students’ budgets.
Trump looks to kill student loan forgiveness program
CNBC
As student debt continues to climb, President Donald Trump on Monday released a budget for 2021 that would slash many of the programs aimed at helping borrowers.
See also:
California legislators announce scholarships to raise awareness of Armenian Genocide
Los Angeles Times
For the sixth time, the California Armenian Legislative Caucus is awarding scholarships commemorating the Armenian Genocide. All California high school students are eligible to apply for one of two scholarships: an essay or visual arts contest.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Ton(s) Of Work: 3 tons of trash removed from slough
Porterville Recorder
Starting in the morning on Saturday at the old river bed or slough near Putnam and Kessing streets in Porterville, 75 community volunteers from the Paar Center along with Director Rudy Pina, the Porterville Rescue Mission and others got together with organizer Darin Garrett, of Jake’s Roofing, and cleaned about 1,500 pounds of trash from the slough.
Lack of power in North Fork and Madera County forced multiple school closures
abc30
Hundreds of toppled trees and scattered shingles blown off the roofs of downtown businesses are just some of the signs left behind from the strong, gusty wind that knocked out power in North Fork.
See also:
Heavy winds take down trees, knock out power, feed residential fire in Modesto Modesto Bee
California meteorologists say 209 mph gust likely a mistake Porterville Recorder
Record-breaking 209-mph gust looks like a mistake, forecasters say Los Angeles Times
California meteorologists say 209 mph gust likely a mistake
AP News
A gust of 209 mph (336 kph) recorded atop a California peak over the weekend was likely not a new state wind record but a mistake resulting from a faulty sensor, meteorologists said Monday.
Rising seas already overwhelm the Bay Area. Time is running out for California to act
Los Angeles Times
More than $150 billion in property could be at risk of flooding by 2100 — the economic damage far more destructive than from the state’s worst earthquakes and wildfires.
The Environmental Burden of Generation Z
Washington Post Magazine
Young people, absorbing the gravity of these warnings, have become the defining face of the climate movement — marching, protesting and berating their elders for bequeathing them an uncertain, unstable future.
Energy:
Opinion: For a reliable grid, California must capture and store wind and solar energy
CalMatters
Accelerating the uses and deployments of energy storage is an obvious first step that can help mitigate the impact of future power shut-offs and reduce emissions that contribute to our changing climate. Planning for a grid that utilizes energy storage should start now.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Two federal opioid lawsuits go back to Oklahoma, California
Porterville Recorder
A federal judicial panel is sending two federal opioid lawsuits back to federal courts in Oklahoma and California where they were initially filed in an effort to streamline the cases that are among nearly 2,700 now pending in federal court in Ohio.
‘California refugees’ move to Idaho for lax vaccine laws. They want lawmakers to know why
Idaho Statesman
Brindley was one of more than two dozen people who told state officials last summer that they moved to Idaho because of the state’s limited regulation — specifically, the ease of getting a vaccine exemption for schoolchildren.
Coronavirus updates: Global death toll passes 1,000 as China records most deaths in a single day
Washington Post
China tentatively returned to work Monday after an extended Lunar New Year shutdown precipitated by the coronavirus outbreak, but with deaths from the epidemic continuing to rise, much of the country remained at a standstill, and many were working from home.
See also:
Human Services:
Addition of 'Big Red' hints at big changes coming to Houchin Community Blood Bank
Bakersfield Californian
Houchin Community Blood Bank is on the move. And while all the details are not yet public, it means growth — resulting in more donated blood, more donated blood products and more lives saved.
Survey: Americans Agree Health Care System Needs Fixing
Capital Public Radio
Americans are divided on lots of issues. But a new national survey finds that people across the political spectrum agree on at least one thing: Our health care system needs fixing.
Trump Eyes Drug-Price Cuts After His Health-Care Record Is Attacked
Bloomberg
President Donald Trump is considering executive action to cut drug prices ahead of the 2020 election, officials familiar with the matter say, as he enters his re-election seeking to rebut Democratic criticism that his policies have hurt U.S. health care.
Brookings
On January 21st, the Supreme Court decided not to grant expedited review of a lower court ruling that would invalidate the entire Affordable Care Act (aka ACA or Obamacare).
A renowned cancer research center at UC San Diego loses funding and may close
San Diego Union-Tribune
Scientists at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research take unusual step of suing their employers to regain research funding.
Walters: Fraud infects disability system
CalMatters
Kenneth and Mandy Henderson have given a new dimension to marital togetherness. Two years ago, a disability claim filed by Mandy Henderson, a lieutenant in the Santa Clara County sheriff’s office, came under suspicion.
IMMIGRATION
Justice Department brings new suits over sanctuary policies
Fresno Bee
The Justice Department ratcheted up legal pressure Monday on local governments over “sanctuary” policies that hinder federal immigration officers, bringing two new lawsuits and launching a coordinated messaging campaign to highlight an election-year priority of President Donald Trump.
See also:
Justice Department files lawsuits over immigration ‘sanctuary’ policies Los Angeles Times
Trump administration goes to war with states over immigration Politico
Justice Dept. Sues Over Sanctuary Laws in California, N.J. and Seattle New York Times
Commentary: Trump's wall is bulldozing the borderlands
Hanford Sentinel
President Donald Trump wants to build part of his promised border wall on top of one of the last free-flowing rivers in the American Southwest.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Crews finding art among the Hotel Fresno's architecture
abc30
In the future, Councilmember Miguel Arias says Hotel Fresno will be home to 79 units, as well as commercial and retail spaces.
PG&E Donating Manzanita Lake Land for New County Rec Area
Sierra News
Madera County will officially take ownership next week of a 140-acre parcel just north of Manzanita Lake. The densely thicketed forestland is being donated to the county by PG&E as part of a more-than-decade-old settlement tied to the utility’s 2004 bankruptcy filing.
Residents raise concerns over Avenal landfill
Hanford Sentinel
The community of Avenal is looking to the city for answers regarding a landfill they say is detrimental to the health of residents.
Private Sector Leaders Encourage States to Simplify Government Approvals to Boost Infrastructure
Route Fifty
Business executives told attendees at the National Governors Association meeting in Washington, D.C. that a simplified permitting process would encourage the private sector to engage on infrastructure projects.
Housing:
Neighbors voice concerns about Tulare development
Visalia Times Delta
A proposed subdivision in Tulare has some nearby residents concerned that too many people might be moving in across the street. However, the developer says the smaller lots are needed to make the project worthwhile.
The real reason California’s upzoning bill failed
Curbed
Last week, SB 50—a proposal in the California legislature that would have increased building heights statewide to five stories near major transit stops or in job-rich areas, and allowed multifamily apartments on most properties—failed after a lengthy debate on the Senate floor.
Rising rent, wave of seniors leaves affordable housing in short supply
Business Journal
There’s been a tremendous spike in the need for affordable housing in California as the cost of living in the state continues to rise and one of the hardest-hit demographics are seniors.
CalMatters
On Jan. 8, Newsom issued an executive order that tasked state agencies with evaluating excess land for use as possible emergency homeless shelters.
A Twist in California’s Homeless Crisis: Evictions by the Evicted
New York Times
As rents skyrocket, more homeless people are trying to find work, even if it means becoming part of the process that forces people out of their homes.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Some Nonprofit Hospitals Aren’t Earning Their Tax Breaks, Critics Say
Pew Trusts
Taylor has introduced a resolution that would require nonprofit hospitals in Chicago that are not part of Cook County Health to make “payments in lieu of taxes” to the city if they are not providing sufficient community benefits.
Opinion: CA Politicians Hate the Federal Tax Deducibility Cap. It’s Unlikely to Go Away
Fox & Hounds
Recently, Dan Walters in CalMatters gave an excellent summation about how California builds its budget on the backs of rich taxpayers and the inherent dangers of doing so when the economy turns down.
Donald Trump Promised to Eliminate the Deficit in 8 Years. So Far, He Has Increased it by 68%
Newsweek
During the 2016 campaign, President Donald Trump made an aggressive promise on federal finances: He would eliminate the budget deficit within eight years. Now, three years into his presidency, the deficit is 68 percent higher than when he started.
‘Amazon tax’: More pressure on tech to pay for problems it magnified
Protocol
Support for a homelessness tax in Washington state shows how pressure on companies has gotten too big to ignore.
High tax, low tax? Comparing income tax and wealth tax rates
AEI
Without taking a position on the merits of wealth taxation, we provide a framework for properly interpreting wealth tax rates and their relationship to income tax rates.
Opinion: The best way to fix Social Security
The Hill
With the Social Security trust fund projected to be depleted within the next 15 years, policymakers have started to consider the changes needed to keep the trust fund solvent.
See also:
TRANSPORTATION
Highway 180 to shift to new expressway near Minkler
abc30
A new and improved portion of Highway 180 will have drivers changing lanes Monday evening. Caltrans officials have opened a portion of the new Kings Canyon Expressway near Centerville.
California company plans to sell China-designed SUVs in US
Porterville Recorder
A California company says it will build and sell Chinese-designed automobiles in the U.S. at the end of next year or early in 2022.
See also:
Irvine company plans to sell China-designed SUVs in U.S. Los Angeles Times
Environmental document slated to be released for high-speed rail near Tehachapi
Tehachapi News
Representatives from the California High-Speed Rail Authority are still planning the Bakersfield to Palmdale high-speed rail section and are eager to share new information regarding state-mandated environmental reports, even though no funding is yet available to construct this section of the project.
WATER
San Francisco limiting access to Hetch Hetchy Valley
Visalia Times Delta
In the waning moments of 2019, San Francisco’s Water Department persuaded Congress to deny long-promised access to unreachable areas of Yosemite National Park.
See also:
Once again, San Francisco officials are limiting public access to the majestic Hetch Hetchy Valley CalMatters
Newsom Proposes A New Approach To Reach Agreements With Water Agencies
Capital Public Radio
Imagine more water flowing through the Delta during dry years, and a habitat restoration for endangered species. That’s what Governor Gavin Newsom is proposing in a new approach to reach agreements with water agencies—rather than issuing rules that are often challenged in court.
See also:
Commentary: Newsom’s Water Framework Is Imperfect but Necessary. The Alternative Is Further Deterioration of the Delta Public Policy Institute of California
Researchers Look to Wetlands to Increase Delta Water Quality
UC Merced
UC Merced Professor Peggy O’Day hopes to improve water quality in the California Delta by studying local wetlands. O’Day is leading a new three-year study of Merced County wetlands that drain into the San Joaquin River and eventually the Delta.
“Xtra”
Use the Libby app to borrow e-books from Fresno County libraries
abc30
The Fig Garden Regional Library hosted the Digital Bookmobile tour in Northwest Fresno on Friday. With the growing popularity of e-books and audiobooks, the nationwide tour shows readers how to access the books for free through the app Libby.
Visalia Fox celebrates its 90th anniversary Visalia Fox celebrates its 90th anniversary
Visalia Times Delta
Want to learn to samba on the stage at the Visalia Fox Theatre? Or maybe you would like Frank Sinatra to serenade you or have your picture taken with Shirley Temple. Or you can recall your youth with a production of “Cinderella.” It’s all happening at the Fox.
The Best Hiking Trails in Kings Canyon National Park
Backpacker
It was Ansel Adams's favorite park for a reason: Catch the best scenery and the best miles on these six trails.
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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.
The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.
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