December 10, 2019

10Dec

POLICY & POLITICS

 

North SJ Valley:

 

We’re collapsing ‘into chaos’ because Democrats won’t accept Trump, Tom McClintock says

Fresno Bee

First the Democrats wouldn’t accept Abraham Lincoln. And now they won’t accept Donald Trump. That’s how Rep. Tom McClintock characterized the fast-moving House impeachment process Monday, comparing Trump’s agony to that of Lincoln’s as the Civil War was about to erupt.

 

Espinoza challenged by local farmer and a counselor in Merced County supervisor race

Merced Sun-Star

First-term incumbent Merced County Supervisor Rodrigo Espinoza faces two challengers in his bid for re-election. Espinoza, who did not respond to requests for comment, first was elected in 2016 to represent Merced County’s District 1, which spans northeast from Le Grand to Livingston.

 

Filing period remains open for two supervisorial seats in Stanislaus County

Modesto Bee

Donna Linder, county registrar of voters, said the period extends for the District 1 and District 5 supervisorial seats because the incumbents, Kristin Olsen and Jim DeMartini, are not seeking another term in office.

 

Plans emerge for major cannabis facility in Modesto. Up to 250 jobs are projected

Modesto Bee

A Canada-based company has big plans to manufacture and distribute cannabis products from an expansive building in Modesto.

 

Calaveras County wins award for oral health program

Stockton Record

On Monday, the Emerging Health Equity Practice Award was given to the Calaveras Health and Human Services Agency, Public Health Division, for the creation and ongoing implementation of The Calaveras Oral Health Program, which encourages positive oral health prevention practices.

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

Valley grower gave preferential hiring to foreign workers, must pay $3.5M, says court

Fresno Bee

A Valley blueberry grower has been ordered to pay a total of $3.5 million under a federal judgment related to preferential hiring practices, among other workplace and visa program violations.

See also:

 

Fresno Unified ex-trustee Brooke Ashjian hit with $23,500 in fines. What did he do?

Fresno Bee

Former Fresno Unified School District trustee Brooke Ashjian faces a fine of $23,500 from regulators for an alleged lack of disclosure and for decisions he made while on the board.

See also:

 

Parlier councilmembers to meet Thursday to address help for flood victims

abc30

Some residents of Parlier are still out of their homes after significant flooding in parts of the city on Sunday. Parlier City Administrator Sonia Hall says the city will do what they can to help residents impacted by Sunday's strong storm.

 

Visalia continues to be among 5 most polluted places in America

Visalia Times Delta

Four of the top 10 worst places for air quality are in the Valley, a distinction that only continues to solidify as the years go on.

 

Three studies, different conclusions about Kaweah Delta

Visalia Times Delta

Three studies grading quality of care at Kaweah Delta Medical Center come to different conclusions about the second largest hospital in the Visalia-Fresno metropolitan area.

 

South SJ Valley:

 

Three candidates to vie for Bakersfield mayor

Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield residents will see familiar faces in the upcoming election for mayor. Of the three candidates who have qualified, all have run before, with varying degrees of success.

 

Oversight Committee recommends additional spending after city sees boost to sales tax revenue

Bakersfield Californian

Revenue from the city of Bakersfield’s sales tax continues to beat initial estimates. City officials say the 1 percent sales tax increase known as the Public Safety and Vital Services Measure has made $9 million more than anticipated in the city’s annual budget.

 

Audit report on agenda for Lindsay City Council

Porterville Recorder

The agenda for the Lindsay City Council meeting on Tuesday is short but two of the three scheduled discussion items will most likely take quite a bit of time.

 

State:

 

California feud with Trump could impact budget surplus

Bakersfield Californian

California is preparing for a much smaller budget surplus next year because of its ongoing feud with the Trump administration, one of the state's chief budget writers said Monday.

See also:

 

California marijuana tax hike puts future of legal market in spotlight amid worries over state industry’s viability

Marijuana Business Daily

Representatives from multiple cannabis companies and trade organizations spoke with staffers in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office, the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) and multiple state legislators with the aim of shoring up political support to lower tax burdens on legal marijuana businesses.

 

Tribal casinos make bold play to control sports betting in California

San Francisco Chronicle

Betting that California is moving toward legalizing sports wagers, American Indian tribes are looking to dominate the action.

 

Fight or switch? One Republican legislator ditches GOP, the other gets primaried

abc10

As Republican Party popularity plummets in California, two moderate legislators —Chad Mayes and Tyler Diep — take opposite tacks to try to keep their jobs.

 

California’s live TV coverage of the Legislature is gone. Will anyone turn it back on?

Los Angeles Times

The California Channel, the venerable broadcasting organization launched in 1991, went dark on Oct. 16 after its cable television patrons decided to cut the funding and pull the plug.

 

California campaign watchdog suspends donation rules for members

Los Angeles Times

The decision by the Fair Political Practices Commission, which is responsible for policing campaign finance in California, is drawing criticism from some political reform advocates and former state officials who say the policy was put in place to avoid an appearance of bias in favor of political candidates whose campaigns are scrutinized by the state agency.

 

Federal:

 

The California Congressional Delegation and The Impeachment Inquiry

Capital Public Radio

The House Judiciary Committee held another hearing today in its ongoing impeachment inquiry of President Trump. There are forty-one members of this committee: five of the Democrats and one of the Republicans is from California.

See also:

 

EDITORIAL: One of Trump’s favorite Obama conspiracy theories was just thoroughly debunked

Los Angeles Times

Trump and his allies focused on Horowitz’s criticisms and ignored his conclusions about the validity of the investigation. But the public should not be misled.

 

Amazon blames Trump's 'personal vendetta' for losing $10B contract

abc30

Amazon places the blame directly on President Donald Trump for why it was passed over for a $10 billion Pentagon contract, arguing in newly unsealed court documents that Trump used his power to influence the decision as part of his "personal vendetta" against the company and its CEO Jeff Bezos.

 

Berkeley’s cell-phone health warning survives Supreme Court challenge

San Francisco Chronicle

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a telecommunications industry challenge Monday to Berkeley’s requirement that cell-phone retailers warn customers about the possible radiation dangers of holding the phones close to their bodies.

 

Elections 2020:

 

Want to vote in the California presidential primary? Better check your registration.

Fresno Bee

If you want to vote in the 2020 presidential primary, you might want to check your voter status. Voting in California’s political primaries begins on Feb. 3, 2020, but those who are listed as “No Party Preference” may be surprised to find no presidential primary candidates on their ballot.

See also:

 

Californians will vote on $15 billion bond to renovate aging schools, build more classrooms

Sacramento Bee

California voters will have a chance to approve $15 billion in bond funding to renovate aging school buildings in the state’s March primary under a bill Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Monday.

 

Climate change a top presidential issue for California Democrats

San Francisco Chronicle

Climate change is a top priority for California’s most liberal Democratic voters, a choice reflected in the presidential candidates they back, according to a new poll.

 

Consulting firm allows Buttigieg to release names of clients

Fresno Bee

The McKinsey & Co. consulting firm said Monday that it will allow Pete Buttigieg to identify the clients he served more than a decade ago while the Democratic presidential contender also pledged to open his fundraising events to the news media and provide the names of key fundraising organizers.

 

Elizabeth Warren discloses she made nearly $2 million in past legal work (over 30 years)

abc30

Sen. Elizabeth Warren's campaign revealed the majority of the paychecks she received during her time as a corporate lawyer.

See also:

 

Bloomberg’s presidential bid endorsed by San Jose mayor

San Francisco Chronicle

Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg began his uphill climb Monday to win California’s Democratic presidential primary by announcing the endorsement of San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo.

See also:

 

Klobuchar Approaches Her Now-or-Never Iowa Moment

Wall Street Journal

Minnesota Sen. Klobuchar is one of the mystery figures of the campaign—the one of whom readers of this column most frequently say: “I like her. Why isn’t she doing better?”

 

Kamala Harris quit the presidential race just in time. Here’s what it means for her future

Los Angeles Times

Kamala Harris didn’t do a great many things well in her crash-and-burn campaign for president. But her swift exit from the race was executed perfectly.

 

The Democrats' diversity on the debate stage

Washington Examiner

At their next debate, some Democrats are saying, their party will have a “non-diverse” set of candidates on the stage. Cory Booker, a candidate who hasn’t qualified for the debate, claims “we’re spiraling towards a debate stage that could have six people with no diversity whatever.”

 

Other:

 

Oildale Native Gerald Haslam Coined The Phrase 'The Other California' - He Tells Us Why

KVPR

I recently caught up with Haslam to find out why he called the book, The Other California: The Great Central Valley in Life and Letters. In the interview, he talks about why this region is different from other parts of the state.

 

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Sunday, December 15, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: Does Your Granny (Flat) Have a Way to Solve the Housing Crisis? - Guest: Monica Davalos, Aureo Mesquita and Adriana Ramos-Vamamoto from the California Budget and Policy Center. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, December 15, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: Recidivism: Statewide Data and a Local Program That Works - Guests: CSU Fresno Professor Emma Hughes, Project Rebound Director Jennifer Leahy, and Project Rebound Rebound Arnold Trevino. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, December 15, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: Los Diez mas Importantes de California - Guest: Alexei Koseff, Reportero de Sacramento Bee. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

Valley grower gave preferential hiring to foreign workers, must pay $3.5M, says court

Fresno Bee

A Valley blueberry grower has been ordered to pay a total of $3.5 million under a federal judgment related to preferential hiring practices, among other workplace and visa program violations.

See also:

 

Plans emerge for major cannabis facility in Modesto. Up to 250 jobs are projected

Modesto Bee

A Canada-based company has big plans to manufacture and distribute cannabis products from an expansive building in Modesto.

 

More California salad contaminated by E. coli bacteria, CDC says

Los Angeles Times

California’s Salinas Valley is grappling with a new outbreak of E. coli contamination linked to packaged salads.

 

'It Would Mean Total Annihilation' – Some Farmers Sell Off Fields Ahead Of Groundwater Law

KVPR

For those keeping their land, Martin knows SGMA will likely mean water cutbacks, which could lead growers to spend more money on water markets or be forced to fallow some of their land. The exact details are still being worked out by hundreds of local water agencies.

 

EDITORIAL: Trump’s Christmas gift to millions of poor Americans: A cut to their small food stipend

Los Angeles Times

In a rare moment of bipartisanship, Congress rejected President Trump’s efforts on last year’s farm bill to impose new food stamp restrictions that would have cut benefits for more than a million needy people.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

Students retrace Chowchilla school bus kidnapping route for new book

abc30

The Chowchilla school bus kidnapping that made headlines worldwide in the 1970s is now the focus of a research project by a group of local students.

 

California’s 12 dioceses subpoenaed by state AG in child sex abuse case

Merced Sun-Star

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced in May he would investigate all of California’s Roman Catholic dioceses to ensure that church officials followed state law and reported sexual misconduct allegations to law enforcement.

 

Officer mistakes a black umbrella for a rifle and opens fire, California police say

Sacramento Bee

A California police officer responding to reports of a man pointing a rifle at people and vehicles Saturday opened fire with an AR-15 when the man brandished what appeared to be a firearm at him, police reported on Facebook.

 

Should psychotherapists be required to report patients who look at child porn?

Los Angeles Times

For years, California law required psychotherapists to report any patient who admitted developing, duplicating, printing or exchanging material depicting an obscene act involving a child.

 

Public Safety:

 

Homeland Security announces easing of facial recognition rule

Fresno Bee

Homeland Security officials continue to step back from their published plan to require use of facial recognition technology on American citizens at U.S. airports when they arrive from or depart to international destinations.

 

How One Retired Bulldog Gang Member Is Using Education To Combat Gun Violence In Fresno

KVPR

For the past few months, Gonzalez has been working with community activist Aaron Foster, whose goal is to prevent gun violence in Fresno. For the past two years, Foster has been trying to bring a gun violence prevention program, Advance Peace, to Fresno.

 

Fire:

 

PG&E's $13.5B deal with fire victims removes huge obstacles

Bakersfield Californian

Pacific Gas and Electric will be able to avoid two legal obstacles that could have tripped up its efforts to bounce back from bankruptcy if California Gov. Gavin Newsom and a federal judge approve a $13.5 billion settlement with victims of catastrophic fires blamed on the utility's equipment.

See also:

 

Rebuilding forests after massive fires: Debate over best methods moves to court

San Francisco Chronicle

An emotional courtroom battle over a plan to log a forest of dead trees incinerated in the Sierra Nevada six years ago could have a lasting impact on how California manages the after-effects of catastrophic wildfire.

 

ECONOMY / JOBS

 

Economy:

 

U.S. and Chinese Trade Negotiators Planning for Delay of December Tariffs

Wall Street Journal

U.S. and Chinese trade negotiators are laying the groundwork for a delay of a fresh round of tariffs set to kick in on Dec. 15, as they continue to haggle over how to get Beijing to​​ commit to massive purchases of U.S. farm products President Trump is insisting on for a near-term deal.

See also:

 

House Democrats say they back Trump’s revised trade deal with Canada and Mexico, citing recent changes

Washington Post

House Democrats took credit Tuesday for rewriting key parts of President Trump’s new North American trade deal to include new protections for workers’ rights and to scrap a provision they said would have led to high prescription drug prices.

See also:

 

Commentary: Capitalism is broken. It’s time for something new.

Washington Post

First, it is fueling extreme inequality. Four decades of stagnant wages and upward flows of wealth in the United States have supercharged the existing wealth divide and other inequalities rooted in racial, gender and geographic differences.

 

Signs point to global recession

OMFIF

US economist Hyman Minsky never tired of warning that extended bull markets always end in epic collapses. The prolonged period of exuberance that financial markets are now experiencing would surely make him shudder.

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Jobs:

 

New California law redefines who gets employment benefits. The lawsuits are just starting

Sacramento Bee

A new law that dictates which California workers must receive full employment benefits takes effect Jan. 1, but the latest battle over Assembly Bill 5 is playing out in courts and could take years to resolve.

 

High-tech job growth concentrated in just 5 cities, report finds

abc30D

The vast majority of tech jobs are concentrated in just a handful of metropolitan areas in the U.S., and this divide drives "national inequality," according to a new report.

See also:

 

Search our salary database of California state workers

Sacramento Bee

Search the salaries of California’s 500,000-plus state workers and view up to 12 years of their pay history with The Bee’s state worker salary database.

 

American Factories Demand White-Collar Education for Blue-Collar Work

Wall Street Journal

College-educated workers are taking over the American factory floor. New manufacturing jobs that require more advanced skills are driving up the education level of factory workers who in past generations could get by without higher education.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

Fresno Unified ex-trustee Brooke Ashjian hit with $23,500 in fines. What did he do?

Fresno Bee

Former Fresno Unified School District trustee Brooke Ashjian faces a fine of $23,500 from regulators for an alleged lack of disclosure and for decisions he made while on the board.

See also:

 

New tutoring effort boosts students’ reading and math skills in Stanislaus County

Modesto Bee

Right here in Stanislaus County, we are launching California Reading and Math Corps Central Valley. Trained AmeriCorps members will be placed in elementary and middle schools throughout the community to serve as literacy and math tutors.

 

These Middle Schoolers Have Something To Say About Hmong Culture And The New Year Celebration

KVPR

Students at Terronez Middle School joined us for a conversation about the Hmong New Year celebration taking place at their school Friday, Dec. 6 from 5 - 7:30 p.m. The event includes dancing, singing, games and lots of food.

 

Guiding Principles for Teacher and Leader Policy: Employ a Holistic Approach

EdSource

Make sure all important aspects of teaching and leading are valued. Teaching and learning are complex. Students, families, teachers and employers look to schools to produce more than just math and reading test scores.

 

Higher Ed:

 

If the University of California drops the SAT, what would take its place?

CalMatters

The debate over whether to stop using the SAT in admissions at the sprawling and nationally influential University of California is approaching a turning point. Anti-testing groups are expected to file a lawsuit Tuesday demanding that the university drop the requirement for students to submit scores on the exam.

 

Tech recruiters were once welcomed on campus. Now they face protests

Los Angeles Times

Palantir is among 43 companies that pay the school $20,000 each year for “unique access” to electrical engineering and computer science students for recruiting purposes. The company provides software to the U.S. military, law enforcement agencies and ICE.

 

Student Loans A Lot Like The Subprime Mortgage Debacle, Watchdog Says

Capital Public Radio

Mike Calhoun rang the alarm bell early on about the subprime mortgage debacle — before reckless lending drove the economy into recession. These days, he's sounding the alarm about student loans.

 

Some States Move Toward Financial Aid Based on Need Rather Than Merit

Pew Trusts

State-funded merit scholarships are politically popular. But as college tuition rises, policymakers in some states are starting to rethink financial aid that disproportionately benefits white, wealthy students and often duplicates scholarships awarded by public universities.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

Visalia continues to be among 5 most polluted places in America

Visalia Times Delta

Four of the top 10 worst places for air quality are in the Valley, a distinction that only continues to solidify as the years go on.

 

Climate change a top presidential issue for California Democrats

San Francisco Chronicle

Climate change is a top priority for California’s most liberal Democratic voters, a choice reflected in the presidential candidates they back, according to a new poll.

 

Wildfire, Floods, Extreme Heat: California Prepares For Climate Change

California Healthline

While the U.S. has moved away from the landmark Paris Agreement on climate change, the state of California has dug in. Alongside New York and Washington, it created the United States Climate Alliance, a coalition looking to uphold the agreement through state actions.

 

Greenland’s ice losses have septupled and are now in line with its highest sea-level scenario, scientists say

Washington Post

The Greenland ice sheet’s losses have accelerated so fast since the 1990s it is now shedding more than seven times as much ice each year, according to 89 scientists who use satellites to study the area.

 

California fines CVS after stores allegedly refused to collect recycled bottles and cans

Fresno Bee

California’s recycling regulator is seeking $3.6 million in fines from CVS Health Corporation, alleging that the pharmacy retail giant failed to accept and redeem recycled cans as required by state law.

See also:

 

Energy:

 

Californians want to end PG&E’s operations as they exist now, new poll says

Los Angeles Times

After years of deadly wildfires and a season of sweeping blackouts, a new poll of California voters finds most would impose major changes to the operations and control of Pacific Gas & Electric, a company beleaguered by sharp criticism and struggling to dig out of financial troubles.

 

Bakersfield has far more jobs in oil than solar, despite Schwarzenegger’s false claim

PolitiFact California

Our reporting, along with a fact check by Bakersfield NBC TV affiliate KGET, calls Schwarzenegger’s specific claim into question. But it also shows renewable energy jobs are growing in the region.

 

Accelerating the low carbon transition

Brookings

Since diplomatic talks on climate change began around 1990, annual global CO2 emissions have risen by over 60%, and they could plausibly keep rising a few per cent per year for at least the next decade, if not longer.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

Opponents drop bid to block California vaccination law

Bakersfield Californian

Opponents on Monday dropped their attempt to block California’s new law cracking down on doctors who write fraudulent medical exemptions for school children's vaccinations.

 

Fresno VA overcome with traffic. Here’s what it’s doing

Business Journal

To say the Central Valley’s office for the U.S. Department of Veterans has had a lot on its plate would be an understatement. In fact, the 2019 fiscal year alone saw the Fresno center manage 432,000 outpatient visits with its staff of 1,500 employees.

 

California is Ground Zero of the vaping epidemic, and needs to lead the effort to end it

CalMatters

California is the home to Juul. It’s also the state where illicit and deadly cannabis vaping products appear to have originated. It would be most fitting that we Californians should take the lead to help end this epidemic.

 

Californians aren’t getting the mental health care they’re legally guaranteed. Why not?

CalMatters

Laws require health plans to provide patients equal treatment for mental and physical needs. But "parity" is often elusive — and critics say the Legislature and health officials have failed to fix the problem.

 

Big Drugmakers Push Deeper Into Cancer Treatment

Wall Street Journal

Two of the world’s biggest drugmakers struck multibillion-dollar deals on Monday aimed at bolstering their lineups in the fiercely competitive cancer-drugs market.

 

Column: Obamacare study proves that having health insurance reduces U.S. death rates

Los Angeles Times

A new study found that Americans who failed to respond to the individual mandate penalty when it was in effect (through 2018), tended to sign up for coverage when they were reminded about it; and that among those who did sign up, mortality rates fell.

 

Human Services:

 

Another price increase? Some with CalPERS long term care insurance face sticker shock

Fresno Bee

Long term care insurance was new in the 1990s, and CalPERS, like many other insurers, used assumptions to set prices on the plans that turned out to be far too low for the premiums to cover costs over time.

 

Dental patients face years of debt, inflated bills with ‘out-of-pocket’ credit cards

Fresno Bee

Across California, patients are wading into years of debt because of high-interest credit cards used to finance dental treatment. They have succumbed to requests by dentists to put their high-priced services on a controversial segment of the health care industry: companies that offer loans for “out-of-pocket” medical care.

 

Three studies, different conclusions about Kaweah Delta

Visalia Times Delta

Three studies grading quality of care at Kaweah Delta Medical Center come to different conclusions about the second largest hospital in the Visalia-Fresno metropolitan area.

 

Calaveras County wins award for oral health program

Stockton Record

On Monday, the Emerging Health Equity Practice Award was given to the Calaveras Health and Human Services Agency, Public Health Division, for the creation and ongoing implementation of The Calaveras Oral Health Program, which encourages positive oral health prevention practices.

 

ACA Insurers In The Supreme Court: Why Consumers Should Pay Attention

Capital Public Radio

The case centers on $12 billion in payments the federal government pledged to insurers to defray their losses in the first years of the health law. Did rescinding those payments send premiums soaring?

 

Americans are still pretty happy with their private health insurance

CNN

Gallup poll results released Friday showed that Americans continue to prefer a health care system based on private insurance over a government-run health care system by a 54% to 42% split.

 

Walters: Walters: In California, medical care means big money — and big politics

CalMatters

Spending on health care in the state now exceeds $400 billion a year — more than $10,000 per person. That has led to an explosion of political attention, just as agriculture and industrial activity dominated California's political landscape in their heydays.

 

EDITORIAL: Don’t drive child-porn viewers away from therapy

Los Angeles Times

In their zeal to prevent crime and protect would-be victims, well-meaning lawmakers and courts sometimes make matters worse with gratuitous punishments and onerous enforcement mandates.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

CBP denies access to doctors seeking flu vaccinations for migrant children

Bakersfield Californian

A group of doctors, who last month pressured U.S. Customs and Border Protection to allow them to give flu vaccines to detained migrant children, have now taken their fight to the driveway of a detention facility in San Ysidro and said they are not leaving until they get approval.

 

Medical screenings are the latest U.S. tactic to discourage asylum seekers, advocates say

Los Angeles Times

Migrants who are sick, or have sick children, have had their U.S. immigration hearings postponed for months.

 

Opinion: Court decisions are falling Trump’s way on a bad immigration policy

Los Angeles Times

Federal judges in three separate circuits issued injunctions — two nationwide, one limited to the 9th Circuit — against President Trump’s pending “public charge” rule, which would make immigrants ineligible for green cards if they sign up for certain public benefits.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

2 meetings will focus on proposed homeless shelter locations in east Bakersfield

Bakersfield Californian

A public meeting will be held Tuesday to discuss two proposed emergency homeless shelter locations in Bakersfield.

 

SJ OKs $200K in funds to help house homeless

Stockton Record

San Joaquin County has approved more than $200,000 in additional funds for a temporary expansion of emergency shelter operations this winter.

 

This Renter Complained About A Gas Leak - Code Enforcement Gave Her 72 Hours To Leave

KVPR

According to state law, when code enforcement decides a home isn’t safe and tenants have to vacate, landlords are obligated to help pay the relocation costs, which is at least two months of fair market rent in the area.

 

EDITORIAL: Trump fights against proven homeless policy in California

San Francisco Chronicle

President Trump has fought California on everything from high-speed rail to auto emissions. But it's his battle with the state on homelessness that's having the most immediate impact on residents' lives.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

Oversight Committee recommends additional spending after city sees boost to sales tax revenue

Bakersfield Californian

Revenue from the city of Bakersfield’s sales tax continues to beat initial estimates. City officials say the 1 percent sales tax increase known as the Public Safety and Vital Services Measure has made $9 million more than anticipated in the city’s annual budget.

 

California feud with Trump could impact budget surplus

Bakersfield Californian

California is preparing for a much smaller budget surplus next year because of its ongoing feud with the Trump administration, one of the state's chief budget writers said Monday.

See also:

 

California marijuana tax hike puts future of legal market in spotlight amid worries over state industry’s viability

Marijuana Business Daily

Representatives from multiple cannabis companies and trade organizations spoke with staffers in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office, the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) and multiple state legislators with the aim of shoring up political support to lower tax burdens on legal marijuana businesses.

 

Silicon Valley giants accused of avoiding over $100 billion in taxes over the last decade

CNBC

Six of Silicon Valley’s biggest companies had a combined “tax gap” of more than $100 billion this decade, according to a new analysis.

 

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Curb Some Loans as Regulator Reins In Risk

Wall Street Journal

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are pulling back on some mortgages meant to make homeownership more affordable, their latest effort to rein in risk at the behest of their regulator.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

Wet Weather Delays Completion of NF Roundabout

Sierra News

Mother Nature has tapped the brakes on North Fork’s highly anticipated new roundabout. The recent series of storms — including a rare “bomb cyclone” — has forced contractors on the job to slow the pace of work, according to Ahmad Alkhayyat, Madera County’s director of public works.

 

Why you will soon see less trash along Modesto roads, highways

Modesto Bee

Modesto is working with Caltrans to pick up fast-food wrappers, plastic coffee cups and other litter left along some of the city’s major thoroughfares in the state transportation agency’s clean sweep program.

 

Caltrans Is Trying To Prepare California Highways for Climate Change

VPR

The future of California’s roads, bridges and highways are in jeopardy because of climate change. In response, Caltrans has is releasing assessments detailing how global warming is already impacting the state's transportation infrastructure.

 

WATER

 

Video: A Path Forward for California’s Freshwater Ecosystems

Public Policy Institute of California

“The current approach for ecosystem management is not working. We’re proposing an alternative path,” said Jeff Mount, senior fellow at the PPIC Water Policy Center, at a public briefing in Sacramento last week.

 

“Xtra”

 

Did you know the 'Nation's Christmas Tree' is in our backyard? Veterans honored at Grant Grove

Visalia Times Delta

General Grant Tree, all 1,250 tons of it, isn't just a monument — it's America's only living monument; a “National Shrine” to the men and women of the armed forces who served, fought and gave their lives to keep America free.

 

Fresno Toys for Tots still needs 20,000 toys

abc30

Toys for Tots is coming off a strong weekend after collecting more than 10,000 toys this past weekend. Jessica Montano, coordinator for Fresno Toys for Tots, says they are currently on target to reach their goal.

 

Lowe's Heroes partner with Rebuilding Together Kern County to improve Bakersfield Senior Center

Bakersfield Californian

More than a dozen workers dressed in red T-shirts dispersed through a building in central Bakersfield on Monday, holding paintbrushes, climbing ladders and wielding brooms.

 

Lemoore Christmas Parade returns Saturday

Hanford Sentinel

Inspired by the recent musical chronicling the life of P.T. Barnum, this year’s Christmas Parade is apt — “The Greatest Show.” And this year’s big top has gotten even bigger.

 

Popular downtown Modesto ice rink won’t return next year unless a new owner steps up

Modesto Bee

This could be the last season for the popular ice rink that has drawn more than 130,000 skaters to downtown Modesto since its first season in 2015.

 

Stories of Sacrifice Shared at the Pearl Harbor Day of Remembrance

Clovis Roundup

Congressman Jim Costa and Clovis Veterans Memorial District CEO Lorenzo Rios were among the speakers who highlighted stories of American sacrifice at Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Dec. 7 at the VA Central California Healthcare System in Fresno.

 

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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.

                                                     

This document is to be used for informational purposes only. Unless specifically noted, The Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno does not officially endorse or support views that may be expressed in the document. If you want to print a story, please do so now before the link expires.

 

 

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