February 17, 2021

17Feb

POLICY & POLITICS

 

California's ever-shrinking high-speed rail plan

San Francisco Chronicle

By 2030, according to a new state plan, Californians will be able to ride high-speed trains — but only between Merced and Bakersfield. The High-Speed Rail Authority’s updated “business plan,” released Tuesday clearly reflects the much-lowered expectations laid out by Gov. Gavin Newsom after he succeeded bullet train enthusiast Jerry Brown two years ago.

See also:

 

North SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

Niche chicken processor moves from Riverbank to a Modesto plant with a long history

Modesto Bee

A Modesto meat plant dating to 1951 is now home to a chicken processor that outgrew its Riverbank site. Campfire Meats employs 91 people just off Crows Landing Road, doing custom cuts for restaurants and other clients. It leases the former space of Yosemite Meat, which moved its processing of beef, pork and other items to Stockton in 2018.

 

San Joaquin County, Modesto impose temporary caps on food delivery service fees

Fox 40

City of Modesto and San Joaquin County leaders are hoping their recent decision helps out restaurants as they placed a cap on how much food delivery companies can charge for each order.

 

Panel to help choose a new president for Modesto Junior College. Board seat is vacant

Modesto Bee

A committee including representatives from community groups and students will search for a new president of Modesto Junior College.

 

Longtime Merced County supervisor, community leader Jerry O’Banion dies

Merced Sun-Star

Jerry O’Banion — a longtime community leader with a record of service spanning more than a quarter-century — died on Friday at Mercy Medical Center at the age of 74, according to Merced County Coroner’s Office spokesperson Deputy Daryl Allen.

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

Supply up, COVID vaccine access easier in Central Valley

abc30

Finding COVID vaccines is still a challenge in the Central Valley, but it's starting to get easier, and people are coming up with strategies.

See also:

 

Fresno mayor: City faces 250 layoffs, including police and firefighters

Fresno Bee

Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said the city is facing the potential for 250 layoffs — including first responders — as it deals with budget shortfalls from the COVID-19 pandemic.

See also:

 

Some local restaurants keep indoor dining open in violation of state's orders

abc30

House of JuJu in Old Town Clovis may be closed for Presidents Day, but it is back to business Tuesday. The restaurant has defied the governor's orders for several months now - serving people indoors.

 

Clashes over Fresno’s new charter school end with allegations of racism and unfairness

Fresno Bee

Fresno’s newest charter school will open next fall after winning approval from the Fresno Unified school board, but the behind-the-scenes process was fraught with missteps and in-fighting among trustees that could change how charter schools are reviewed in the future.

 

Fresno encouraging city pride in Neighborhood Blitz revitalization project

Fresno Bee

About 80 volunteers withstood a slight drizzle while taking part in the City of Fresno’s first “Neighborhood Blitz” revitalization project in the Cary Park neighborhood on Saturday.

 

Fresno County will consider rent control for mobile home parks

Fresno Bee

Fresno County supervisors will consider a rent control policy to limit price gouging at the 98 mobile home parks in rural parts of the county — a direct result of organizing by a large family of indigenous farmworkers from Oaxaca.

 

California City (Dinuba) Revives With Tax Revenue Redirected from Rivals

Bloomberg Tax

Dinuba, a California town with more than one-fourth of its residents living in poverty, could easily have been a casualty of the pandemic economy. But it had an ace in the hole: an agreement with Best Buy Inc. to share tax revenue on sales from its local warehouse.

 

Council approves Golden State roadway project

Turlock Journal

Golden State Boulevard will soon receive some much-needed improvements as the Turlock City Council approved a $2.34 million roadway project.

 

South SJ Valley:

 

Kern Public Health: 152 new coronavirus cases reported Tuesday

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Public Health Services Department reported 152 new coronavirus cases Tuesday. That brings the total cases since the pandemic began to 100,586. There have been 687 virus-related deaths.

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Hospitals still ration medical N95 masks as stockpiles swell

Bakersfield Californian

Mike Bowen’s warehouse outside Fort Worth, Texas, was piled high with cases of medical-grade N95 face masks. His company, Prestige Ameritech, can churn out 1 million masks every four days, but he doesn’t have orders for nearly that many. So he recently got approval from the government to export them.

 

New Public Health Director Carrigan wanted to go beyond numbers to help community

Bakersfield Californian

Brynn Carrigan, a 37-year-old Bakersfield native, a graduate of South High and Cal State Bakersfield, officially became the county’s new Public Health Services director on Feb. 1, succeeding outgoing director Matt Constantine, who retires at the end of March.

 

BCSD says it plans to bring elementary students back to campus March 22

Bakersfield Californian

The Bakersfield City School District announced it plans to open its campuses to elementary school students for the first time since COVID-19 shut school sites down. Should BCSD's plan succeed, it would become the largest district in Kern County to open its campuses.

 

Could southeast Bakersfield become target of significant Measure N spending?

Bakersfield Californian

It has been more than two years since Bakersfield residents narrowly passed the 1 percent sales tax increase known as Measure N, or the Public Safety and Vital Services Measure. Despite the tens of millions of dollars that have been raised, some in the city are wondering where all the money has been spent.

 

Bakersfield climbs back to pre-bust home price peak

Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield's home market has finally reached, and surpassed, the price peak it hit prior to the 2006-07 housing bust. Last month the median sale price of an existing single-family home in the city set a new record of $303,000, topping June 2006's mark of $299,995 by 1 percent, amid constrained supply and booming demand for lower-end properties

 

Robert Price: Long road back from tourism void might begin with this step by Kern County Museum

Bakersfield Californian

Among its many casualties, the pandemic has silenced cash registers at Kern County businesses that cater to two noteworthy species of tourists: adventure-oriented outdoorsy types drawn to the Sierra Nevada and upper Kern River, and pilgrims fascinated by that local canon of uniquely American music, the Bakersfield Sound, and all its colorful trappings.

 

State:

 

COVID Update:

 

COVID vaccine updates: California getting biggest boost yet as federal supply soars

Sacramento Bee

About nine weeks into the mass vaccination campaign to combat the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. supply is ramping up quickly. The White House on Tuesday announced a 23% leap in the nation’s allocations of vaccine doses, bringing the total to about 13.5 million a week.

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Investigation: Big Newsom Donors — Including Blue Shield — Received No-Bid Contracts During COVID-19 Response

Capital Public Radio

UnitedHealth has been good to Gov. Gavin Newsom. In 2018, the health care giant made two contributions to Newsom for over $58,000. In December 2019, it dropped another $31,000 into his reelection campaign.

 

More California re-openings on way as virus numbers improve

Bakersfield Californian

A substantial number of California counties could see fewer restrictions on business operations starting next week as coronavirus infections, hospitalizations and deaths continue to fall, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday.

 

California could sue cities over homeless plans under proposed law

Sacramento Bee

California cities could face lawsuits for failing to follow through on plans to dramatically reduce homelessness under a proposal from San Francisco Democrat that aims to help end the humanitarian emergency by 2029.

 

The Californians Are Coming. So Is Their Housing Crisis.

New York Times

For the past several years, Idaho has been one of the fastest-growing states, with the largest share of new residents coming from California. This fact can be illustrated with census data, moving vans — or resentment.

 

Low-Paid Workers and Their Families Take Another Blow as California Begins to Lose Jobs Again

California Budget & Policy Center

As COVID-19 cases surged in late 2020 and new restrictions affecting businesses had to be put in place, California began to lose jobs again for the first time since the pandemic began.

 

Fact Check: Are California Democrats unfairly scrutinizing recall signatures?

Modesto Bee

Actor Kevin Sorbo on Monday claimed California requires signature verification for petitions to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom, but not for mail-in ballots. His tweet implied the state is giving increased scrutiny to the Republican-led effort to oust the Democratic governor.

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California Republican takes on ‘cancel culture,’ proposes new discrimination protections

Modesto Bee

A California Republican lawmaker introduced two bills on Tuesday that aim to ban discrimination over a person’s political views, characterizing the package as an effort to fight ‘cancel culture.’

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California state worker retirements jumped 15% in year of pay cuts, coronavirus

Sacramento Bee

State employee retirements increased 15% last year in California amid pay cuts and changes to working conditions brought on by the coronavirus, according to California Public Employees’ Retirement System data.

 

Union-Backed Challenge to Prop 22 Rejected by California Supreme Court

aalrr

The California Supreme Court has rejected an emergency constitutional challenge filed by drivers for Uber, Lyft and other app-based companies and various unions requesting that the Court declare the voter-approved Proposition 22 unconstitutional.

 

Kings tickets and a cruise: How California’s AIDS office misspent millions

Sacramento Bee

A California state office targeted by an employee’s $2 million fraud scheme had few protocols in place to stop theft or even to keep track of the tens of millions of dollars that flow through it, according to an independent audit.

 

Federal:

 

COVID Update:

 

Biden Says He Wants K-8 Schools Open Five Days a Week

Wall Street Journal

President Biden said he expects a “significant percentage” of K-8 schools to reopen five days a week within his first 100 days in office, after the White House said last week that its pledge to open schools would be met by in-person instruction one day a week.

 

Biden prepares to move to next phase of his agenda with infrastructure push

NBC

Even before he has secured his first major legislative priority, President Joe Biden is crafting the pitch for his second: an even larger spending plan that the White House is billing as the infrastructure package long sought by both parties.

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Biden faces questions about commitment to minimum wage hike

Los Angeles Times

But the effort is facing an unexpected roadblock: Biden himself. The president has seemingly undermined the push to raise the minimum wage by acknowledging its dim prospects in Congress, where it faces political opposition and procedural hurdles.

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GOP campaign arm hits Democrats over what was kept out of the pandemic relief package

Roll Call

House Republicans are preparing to attack Democrats for a flurry of votes taken in a handful of committees over the past  week as they rushed to send a $1.9 billion COVID package to President Joe Biden’s desk by mid-March.

 

Editorial: Biden is making a big push against child poverty. But for how long?

Los Angeles Times

President Biden wants Congress to take an open-the-spigots approach to the COVID-19 pandemic, spending almost $1.9 trillion on a slew of efforts to beat the disease, help desperate households and businesses, fill yawning gaps in state and local budgets and pump up the economy.

 

Nancy Pelosi Announces Plans For 9/11-Style Commission To Study Capitol Attack

VPR
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced plans for Congress to establish an outside and independent commission to investigate "the facts and causes" related to the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

 

Sen. Ben Sasse: GOP Must Persuade Voters It Has A Vision Beyond Donald Trump

VPR
In a wide-ranging interview with NPR's Morning Edition on Tuesday, Sasse said the Republican Party is in a battle between what he calls "conservatism and short-term-ism."

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Opinion: Congress must invoke the 14th Amendment to stop Trump from running again

Washington Post

The Senate impeachment trial has provided further proof of what can no longer be denied: Former president Donald Trump poses an existential threat to American democracy.

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Other:

 

Why using Facebook and YouTube should require a media literacy test

FastCompany

Just like driving requires an exam, social media users should be required to take a 15-minute media literacy course, followed by a quiz, before using their platform of choice.

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Rush Limbaugh, conservative radio provocateur and cultural phenomenon, dies at 70

Washington Post

Rush Limbaugh, who deployed comic bombast and relentless bashing of liberals, feminists and environmentalists to become the nation’s most popular radio talk-show host and lead the Republican Party into a politics of anger and obstruction, died Feb. 17 at 70.

 

Lonely, angry, eager to make history: Online mobs are likely to remain a dangerous reality

Washington Post

The chaos of WallStreetBets and the QAnon-fueled storming of the U.S. Capitol showcased the reality-shaping power of Internet communities. Who’s supposed to stop them when they go too far?

 

The ‘audacious lie’ behind a hedge fund’s promise to sustain local journalism

Washington Post

When Alden Global Capital announced Tuesday that it was positioned to buy the Chicago Tribune and several other major newspapers, its statement might have sounded promising.

 

Mitt Romney Is a Serious Senator in an Unserious Senate

National Review

Among the more amusing developments of the new Congress has been Senator Mitt Romney’s dogged attempts to do his job. Earlier this month, Romney made a deficit-neutral proposal that would provide Americans with cash allowances for every child they have.

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Sunday, February 21, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Little Hoover Commission Report: Saving California's Small Businesses” - Guest:  Pedro Nava, Chairman - Little Hoover Commission. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, February 21, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “The Pandemic's Effect on Small Business” - Guests: Nick Ortiz, President/CEO - Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce; Greg Newman, CEO - Clovis Chamber of Commerce; Dave White, CEO - Opportunity Stanislaus; Katy Winders, Director - Small Business Development Center, Stanislaus and Tuolumne Counties. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

Niche chicken processor moves from Riverbank to a Modesto plant with a long history

Modesto Bee

A Modesto meat plant dating to 1951 is now home to a chicken processor that outgrew its Riverbank site. Campfire Meats employs 91 people just off Crows Landing Road, doing custom cuts for restaurants and other clients. It leases the former space of Yosemite Meat, which moved its processing of beef, pork and other items to Stockton in 2018.

 

San Joaquin County, Modesto impose temporary caps on food delivery service fees

Fox 40

City of Modesto and San Joaquin County leaders are hoping their recent decision helps out restaurants as they placed a cap on how much food delivery companies can charge for each order.

 

Proposed law would give undocumented Californians access to state food assistance

Sacramento Bee

As immigrant communities continue to be left out of federal COVID-19 relief and are unequally impacted by the pandemic’s economic downturn, a Democratic lawmaker is introducing a bill that seeks to expand a state food assistance program to Californians regardless of their immigration status.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

Street racing in Fresno just got a lot more expensive. Here’s why

Fresno Bee

Street racers are in the sights of local law enforcement more than ever in Fresno, as authorities roll out a crackdown that includes special operations and higher fines for those caught speeding on area streets.

 

Local Jail Spending Grew 13% Over a Decade, Despite Falling Crime

PEW
New research from The Pew Charitable Trusts suggests that localities may want to examine jail spending as they look for ways to curb costs in the coming months and years.

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Public Safety:

 

Fresno mayor: City faces 250 layoffs, including police and firefighters

Fresno Bee

Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said the city is facing the potential for 250 layoffs — including first responders — as it deals with budget shortfalls from the COVID-19 pandemic. Dyer told the Washington Post that a $31 million shortfall could force the layoffs if the city doesn’t get further federal relief related to the virus.

 

Could southeast Bakersfield become target of significant Measure N spending?

Bakersfield Californian

It has been more than two years since Bakersfield residents narrowly passed the 1 percent sales tax increase known as Measure N, or the Public Safety and Vital Services Measure. Despite the tens of millions of dollars that have been raised, some in the city are wondering where all the money has been spent.

 

Fire:

 

California to develop new rules on home hardening to lower fire risks

KTLA
As consecutive years of catastrophic wildfires in California drive up the cost of insuring homes, state regulators on Monday announced a step toward creating incentives for retrofitting older homes to make them more resilient to fires.

 

ECONOMY/JOBS

 

Economy:

 

Some local restaurants keep indoor dining open in violation of state's orders

abc30

House of JuJu in Old Town Clovis may be closed for Presidents Day, but it is back to business Tuesday. The restaurant has defied the governor's orders for several months now - serving people indoors.

 

SBDC webinar will go over loan forgiveness details

Bakersfield Californian

A one-hour webinar offering tips on how local businesses can get financial help during the pandemic will focus Wednesday on new details including a one-page loan forgiveness form for Paycheck Protection Program borrowers.

 

How remote work could change California cities

CalMatters

Many tech employees may never return to their offices in San Francisco or Silicon Valley as jobs go and stay remote, presaging a massive political and cultural shift as workers flee from crowded, expensive cities to quieter, cheaper parts of California.

 

U.S. Retail Sales Rose Strongly on Stimulus in January

Wall Street Journal

U.S. shoppers sharply increased spending in January, buoyed by stimulus payments that many households received in the most recent virus-relief package.

 

Commentary: Low interest rates have reduced the pandemic’s damage to emerging market sovereign debt burdens

AEI

This rise in debt poses concerns that these economies may be headed for default and crisis. However, the decline in interest rates since the pandemic began should make it easier to service their debt.

 

Jobs:

 

State fines Kaiser $499K for COVID worker safety violations

Business Journal

California officials gave a nod to Kaiser Permanente’s reputation for efficiency when they recently selected it to help speed vaccine rollout. But a review of worker safety citations shows Kaiser has had its own pandemic troubles, failing to adequately protect its employees early on.

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Sign of inequality: U.S. salaries recover even as jobs haven’t

Los Angeles Times

In a stark sign of the economic inequality that has marked the pandemic recession and recovery, Americans as a whole are now earning the same amount in wages and salaries that they did before the virus struck — even with nearly 9 million fewer people working.

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'Hopefully it makes history': Fight for $15 closes in on mighty win for US workers

The Guardian

Fear was the overwhelming emotion Alvin Major felt when, on a chilly November morning in 2012, he went on strike at the Brooklyn KFC where he worked.

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Millions of jobs probably aren’t coming back, even after the pandemic ends

Washington Post

Millions of jobs that have been shortchanged or wiped out entirely by the coronavirus pandemic are unlikely to come back, economists warn, setting up a massive need for career changes and retraining in the United States.

 

Covid-19 Dims Job Prospects, So Young People Sign Up for the Military

Wall Street Journal

Around the world, militaries are seeing upticks in enlistments, as younger adults seek refuge from a pandemic that has curbed job opportunities, social life and a traditional education.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

Clashes over Fresno’s new charter school end with allegations of racism and unfairness

Fresno Bee

Fresno’s newest charter school will open next fall after winning approval from the Fresno Unified school board earlier this month, but the behind-the-scenes process was fraught with missteps and in-fighting among trustees that could change how charter schools are reviewed in the future.

 

Will these vaccine, testing projects help Fresno-area schools reopen — and stay open?

Fresno Bee

As pressure to reopen schools mounts, school districts in the central San Joaquin Valley are attempting to help speed up the process by becoming vaccination sites, partnering with local health clinics, and ramping up COVID-19 testing for students and teachers on campuses.

 

Education Lab: How to keep Fresno-area schools open as more students return to campuses

Fresno Bee

More students in Fresno County schools will be in classrooms more often in the coming days and weeks, but a return to normal isn’t in the cards anytime soon.

 

BCSD says it plans to bring elementary students back to campus March 22

Bakersfield Californian

The Bakersfield City School District announced it plans to open its campuses to elementary school students for the first time since COVID-19 shut school sites down. Should BCSD's plan succeed, it would become the largest district in Kern County to open its campuses.

 

The Digital Divide in Education

Public Policy Institute of California

The closure of public schools and colleges in March 2020 created unprecedented demand for broadband and device access—particularly for K–12 schools, many of which were new to distance learning.

 

Biden Says He Wants K-8 Schools Open Five Days a Week

Wall Street Journal

President Biden said he expects a “significant percentage” of K-8 schools to reopen five days a week within his first 100 days in office, after the White House said last week that its pledge to open schools would be met by in-person instruction one day a week.

See also:

 

Higher Ed:

 

Panel to help choose a new president for Modesto Junior College. Board seat is vacant

Modesto Bee

A committee including representatives from community groups and students will search for a new president of Modesto Junior College. Henry Yong, chancellor of Yosemite Community College District, said last month he would form the committee after the district board accepted the resignation of MJC President James Houpis last month.

 

Commentary: Putting student loan forgiveness in perspective: How costly is it and who benefits?

Brookings

Even modest student loan forgiveness proposals are staggeringly expensive and use federal spending that could advance other goals.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

Edwards AFB set to break ground on new $34 million Joint Simulation Environment facility

Bakersfield Californian

Edwards Air Force Base is set to break ground on a Joint Simulation Environment facility on Thursday. The project aims to bring state-of-the-art modeling and simulation to the Air Force Test Center, according to a news release from 412th Electronic Warfare Group.

 

There’s an invisible climate threat seeping from grocery store freezers. Biden wants to change that.

Washington Post

The Biden administration now sees eliminating these chemicals from the nation’s refrigerators as low-hanging fruit in its broader effort to rein in climate pollutants. The EPA issued a public call last week for companies to report production and import data on HFCs.

 

EPA to jettison major Obama climate rule, as Biden eyes a bigger push

Washington Post

The Biden administration indicated Friday it will not try to resurrect the Clean Power Plan, a controversial Obama-era policy that set climate pollution targets for every state’s electricity sector and gave officials flexibility on how they would make those reductions by the end of the decade.

 

Energy:

 

Californians urged to conserve energy as extreme winter weather hits parts of US

abc30

Californians are being asked to conserve energy due to the extreme winter weather conditions hitting other parts of the country.

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The Huge Electric Leadership Of A Small California Town

Zocalo Public Square

If California is lucky, our energy future could look like a small town in the rural Salinas Valley. Longtime readers of this column will not be surprised to learn that the town in question is Gonzales, the California municipal version of the Little Engine That Could.

 

Chevron and BP back renewable start-up focused on geothermal energy

CNBC
Canada-based geothermal company Eavor Technologies on Tuesday announced a $40 million funding round that included participation from BP Ventures and Chevron Technology Ventures as big oil companies increase investments in renewable energy.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

Kern Public Health: 152 new coronavirus cases reported Tuesday

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Public Health Services Department reported 152 new coronavirus cases Tuesday. That brings the total cases since the pandemic began to 100,586. There have been 687 virus-related deaths.

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Hospitals still ration medical N95 masks as stockpiles swell

Bakersfield Californian

Mike Bowen’s warehouse outside Fort Worth, Texas, was piled high with cases of medical-grade N95 face masks. His company, Prestige Ameritech, can churn out 1 million masks every four days, but he doesn’t have orders for nearly that many. So he recently got approval from the government to export them.

 

COVID-19 vaccine trial to begin on children as young as 6, youngest group yet to be tested

abc30

A coronavirus vaccine trial for volunteers, ages 6 to 17, is starting this month in the UK. Global trials with teens have been underway for months, but this is the first time a coronavirus vaccine has been tested on anyone younger than 12.

 

Confronting Racism, Overcoming COVID-19, & Advancing Health Equity

California Budget & Policy Center

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the depths and reach of racism on the health of children, families, and individuals, with communities of color in California experiencing higher rates of illness, death, and overall hardship due to the virus.

 

CDC’s New (Inconsistent?) Guidance on Quarantining for Fully-Vaccinated Individuals

Ogletree Deakins

On February 11, 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated materials on its website pertaining to when individuals should quarantine after exposure to someone with COVID-19.

 

Most California drivers inhale carcinogens — and the danger is from inside, study says

Fresno Bee

The majority of Californians who regularly travel by car, sometimes for hours a day, are inhaling dangerous levels of carcinogens floating inside their vehicles, according to a new study from the University of California, Riverside.

 

Human Services:

 

Supply up, COVID vaccine access easier in Central Valley

abc30

Finding COVID vaccines is still a challenge in the Central Valley, but it's starting to get easier, and people are coming up with strategies.

See also:

 

Vaccine distribution not equitable for Blacks, Latinos in California, preliminary data shows

abc30

For months, California political and public health leaders claimed equity is a top priority, but for weeks the state didn't have data to prove it. That's changed.

See also:

 

COVID vaccine updates: California getting biggest boost yet as federal supply soars

Sacramento Bee

About nine weeks into the mass vaccination campaign to combat the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. supply is ramping up quickly. The White House on Tuesday announced a 23% leap in the nation’s allocations of vaccine doses, bringing the total to about 13.5 million a week.

 

Here's what's in California's contract with Blue Shield to manage state's COVID-19 vaccine efforts

KCRA 3

California has released its contract with Blue Shield of California outlining how the nonprofit health insurer will serve as the state's third-party administrator to build a vaccine network and increase the rate of allocation for doses.

 

California shifts vaccine priorities again: People with health conditions are eligible next month

CalMatters

Under the new state guidelines, people ages 16 to 64 with chronic, high-risk conditions and disabilities will join older Californians, food workers and educators. But not until March 15.

 

Commentary: A solution that would add to the ranks of California’s health care workforce

CalMatters

The devastating impact of COVID-19 on California’s health care workers has been widely reported. But not only has the pandemic strained the existing health care workforce, it also has interrupted the progress of students who are working to enter the profession and who could provide desperately needed help.

 

Opinion: The vaccinated need to know: What’s safe for them to do?

Washington Post

More than one in 10 Americans have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, but they are still awaiting a clear answer to a key question: What can they do once they are fully vaccinated?

 

IMMIGRATION

 

Democrats push Newsom to prioritize COVID vaccinations for California’s immigrant detainees

Fresno Bee

A group of lawmakers and advocates want Gov. Gavin Newsom to clear up what they say is conflicting information about the vaccination of hundreds of immigrants detained in the state’s immigration facilities.

 

As Biden reforms immigration policy, a question: What becomes of sanctuary beneficiaries?

Los Angeles Times

The notice from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to pay a $59,126 fine didn’t bolster Hilda Ramírez’s confidence that she could soon leave the church where she and her son had received refuge for almost five years.

 

Democrats and Biden prepare to unveil bill that would provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants

CNN
The Biden administration, in concert with Hill Democrats, is preparing to unveil legislation this week that seeks to provide a pathway to citizenship to the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

Fresno encouraging city pride in Neighborhood Blitz revitalization project

Fresno Bee

About 80 volunteers withstood a slight drizzle while taking part in the City of Fresno’s first “Neighborhood Blitz” revitalization project in the Cary Park neighborhood on Saturday.

 

Yosemite ‘firefall’ viewing different this February. Reservations required to enter park

Fresno Bee

Fewer people in 2021 will get a chance to see Yosemite National Park’s “firefall” phenomenon, when Horsetail Fall is aglow in February with the sunset.

 

Council approves Golden State roadway project

Turlock Journal

Golden State Boulevard will soon receive some much-needed improvements as the Turlock City Council approved a $2.34 million roadway project.

 

Video: The Path to Healthy Headwater Forests

Public Policy Institute of California

The worst wildfire year in California history has prompted new interest in and increased efforts to better manage Sierra forests to improve their resilience to fire, drought, and pests.

 

Housing:

 

Fresno County will consider rent control for mobile home parks

Fresno Bee

Fresno County supervisors will consider a rent control policy to limit price gouging at the 98 mobile home parks in rural parts of the county — a direct result of organizing by a large family of indigenous farmworkers from Oaxaca who reside at Shady Lakes Mobile Home Park.

 

Bakersfield climbs back to pre-bust home price peak

Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield's home market has finally reached, and surpassed, the price peak it hit prior to the 2006-07 housing bust. Last month the median sale price of an existing single-family home in the city set a new record of $303,000, topping June 2006's mark of $299,995 by 1 percent, amid constrained supply and booming demand for lower-end properties.

 

California could sue cities over homeless plans under proposed law

Sacramento Bee

California cities could face lawsuits for failing to follow through on plans to dramatically reduce homelessness under a proposal from San Francisco Democrat that aims to help end the humanitarian emergency by 2029.

 

Audit: California should track homeless spending, set policy

Business Journal

California has spent $13 billion in the last three years to tackle a massive homelessness problem likely to worsen with the pandemic, yet its approach is so fragmented and incomplete as to hinder efforts at getting people into stable housing...

 

The Californians Are Coming. So Is Their Housing Crisis.

New York Times

For the past several years, Idaho has been one of the fastest-growing states, with the largest share of new residents coming from California. This fact can be illustrated with census data, moving vans — or resentment.

 

What it’s like to become homeless, with kids, in a pandemic

Fresno Bee

Monica wrote about how water suppliers are struggling because of the pandemic-related economic downturn and how this could impact their ability to keep water running. She also wrote about consumers in the central San Joaquin Valley and how much they owe in water-related debt and its implications.

 

Biden extending ban on housing foreclosures to June 30

abc30

President Joe Biden is extending a ban on housing foreclosures to June 30 to help homeowners struggling during the coronavirus pandemic.

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PUBLIC FINANCES

 

California City (Dinuba) Revives With Tax Revenue Redirected from Rivals

Bloomberg Tax

Dinuba, a California town with more than one-fourth of its residents living in poverty, could easily have been a casualty of the pandemic economy. But it had an ace in the hole: an agreement with Best Buy Inc. to share tax revenue on sales from its local warehouse.

 

See what's in Democrats' relief plan: 3rd stimulus check, unemployment benefits and more

abc30

House Democrats were busy last week advancing a wide range of coronavirus relief provisions, all part of President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus package.

 

Bill would end tax hikes for companies researching disease

Bakersfield Californian

Facing a staggering $54.3 billion budget deficit last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, California's governor and state Legislature agreed to raise taxes by nearly $4 billion on some businesses to avoid even harsher cuts to state services.

 

Why personal debt looks healthy despite worst year for jobs

CalMatters

Americans spent more on homes and reduced more in credit card debt than nearly ever before, but California experts say traditional indicators have failed to capture the pandemic’s true toll, warning of a much more complicated — and unequal — debt story.

 

Lost a job or income? Don’t lose access to key tax credits

AP News

Americans who lost their job or some of their income in 2020 should pay attention to a new, one-time provision that ensures they don’t lose access to valuable tax credits as well.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

California's ever-shrinking high-speed rail plan

San Francisco Chronicle

By 2030, according to a new state plan, Californians will be able to ride high-speed trains — but only between Merced and Bakersfield. The High-Speed Rail Authority’s updated “business plan,” released Tuesday clearly reflects the much-lowered expectations laid out by Gov. Gavin Newsom after he succeeded bullet train enthusiast Jerry Brown two years ago.

See also:

 

WATER

 

Trump sending more California water to farms troubled federal biologists. They were sidelined

Fresno Bee

Federal scientists and regulators repeatedly complained they were sidelined by former President Donald Trump’s administration when they warned of risks to wildlife posed by a California water management plan, according to newly unveiled documents.

 

3M raises spending on water quality, other environmental goals, sees $1B pricetag over 20 years

Merced Sun-Star

3M said Tuesday it will invest about $1 billion over the next 20 years to accelerate its global environmental goals, boosting efficiency at the same time.

 

“Xtra”

 

For those who ordered, Girl Scout cookies are here. How do the rest of us get them?

Modesto Bee

No little red wagons being pulled around neighborhoods, overflowing with boxes. No answering your doorbell to a smiling, uniformed child asking assuredly — or maybe shyly, depending on how unpracticed she is — if you would like to buy some cookies.

 

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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.

 

The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute 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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