POLICY & POLITICS
North SJ Valley:
‘A path of service’: Three sworn in on Stockton City Council
Stockton Record
Sol Jobrack began to choke up as he thanked friends and family who supported him during his 2018 campaign for Stockton City Council. Jobrack was one of three council members sworn into office Tuesday night to kick off the council meeting at the Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium.
The Small California Farm Town That Puts Kids First
Zócalo Public Square
What if California actually decided to put the needs of its poor kids first? What would that look like? Here’s one answer: it might look like Gonzales, a small city of 9,000 people—many of them farmworkers—along Highway 101 in the Salinas Valley.
Central SJ Valley:
Devin Nunes caught up in the Mueller investigation? ‘Fake news,’ he says
Visalia Times-Delta
Nunes and his team are pushing back on the reporting, calling it “fake news” and pointing out that the story says “Nunes… has not been accused of any wrongdoing.”
After Madera successes, will Fresno County overhaul elections system for 2020?
Fresno Bee
Madera County was one of just five California counties to opt in to a new election system established by the Voter’s Choice Act that prioritizes by-mail voting and technological solutions over the traditional Election Day rush to the polls.
Fresno court workers strike for second day. ‘We’re just out here until it’s over.’
Fresno Bee
Fresno County Superior Court workers spent a second day on strike Wednesday with no deal in sight, and the union plotting a continuous strike until it gets a new contract.
From the fields of Fresno to the halls of Sacramento
Fresno Bee
Few people have dedicated as much of their life fighting for the rights of working people as our sister, Maria Elena Durazo, who is now serving as a state Senator in Los Angeles.
South SJ Valley:
Reeling California Republicans elevate Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) social conservative
Politico
State senators voted to replace Sen. Patricia Bates with Sen. Shannon Grove on Tuesday, the latest leadership shuffle as the state party searches for a way out of political oblivion.
Wanted: Two dozen dedicated, fair-minded citizens
Bakersfield Californian
Kern County needs jurors, and not just ordinary jurors. The county needs grand ones — citizens willing to serve for not a week or two but a full year or two.
State:
New legislative analyst will come to the Capitol from big finance
Sacramento Bee
After months of searching, California lawmakers selected Gabriel Petek to lead the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office — the group responsible for evaluating budgets and policy proposals coming out of Sacramento.
See also:
● California lawmakers pick longtime financial markets expert as their top fiscal analyst Los Angeles Times
● Business navigates California’s one-party state Politico
● Legislative Analyst’s Office History Legislative Analyst’s Office
Reeling California Republicans elevate Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) social conservative
Politico
State senators voted to replace Sen. Patricia Bates with Sen. Shannon Grove on Tuesday, the latest leadership shuffle as the state party searches for a way out of political oblivion.
See also:
● Californians’ Priorities for Their New Leaders Public Policy Institute of California
● California Burns for Better Leaders Wall Street Journal
California Legislature Considers Two Bills Related to Independent Contractor Misclassification
Ogletree Deakins
Two competing bills related to the classification of workers are in play in the California legislature.
See also:
● As gig companies beg for relief from pro-labor Supreme Court ruling, the lobbying is fast and furious CALmatters
A third party in California? Sorry, not going to happen
Los Angeles Times
Three misunderstandings are feeding all the hypothesizing about a new and possibly centrist third party. First, most “independent” voters are not really all that independent in their voting behavior after all.
How can California elect more women? Let campaigns pay for child care costs, lawmakers say
Sacramento Bee
Assembly Bill 220 would allow state and local candidates and elected officials to use campaign funds for child care expenses. Assemblyman Rob Bonta said it would reduce barriers for parents, particularly women, to run and help improve gender parity in public office.
See also:
● California candidates and elected officials could use campaign funds to pay for child care under new bill Los Angeles Times
● Progressive leader? When it comes to female lawmakers, California ties Georgia for 20th place CALmatters
Report for America Enables a Unique Journalism Collaboration
CALmatters
Report for America, the national service program that places journalists in under-covered communities, is funding three reporters for an ambitious effort focused on California’s worst-in-the-nation poverty rate and the growing divide between the state’s rich and poor.
Federal:
Pelosi asks Trump to postpone State of the Union due to shutdown
abc30
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is asking President Trump to postpone the State of the Union. In a new letter, the San Francisco Democrat tells President Trump the speech scheduled for January 29 should be postponed due to the ongoing government shutdown.
See also:
● GOP dismiss suggestion that State of Union be postponed Modesto Bee
● Q&A: Trump and the State of the Union address Modesto Bee
● Government shutdown may upend State of the Union speech Sacramento Bee
● Even the venerable State of the Union address can’t escape shutdown’s bitterness Los Angeles Times
● Democrats back Pelosi decision to delay State of the Union as Republicans cry politics Roll Call
Trump and Democrats are far apart on immigration. Can they work together for California farms?
Merced Sun-Star
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump told farmers he wants to make it easier for foreign labor “to come in and to work the farms.” Two California Democrats have a proposal they argue could do just that.
See also:
● One Solution to the Shutdown? Give More Power to the States. Politico
● Mellman: Why does the GOP persist? The Hill
● Gridlock Is the New Normal Wall Street Journal
Cohen acknowledges rigging polls for Trump in 2014 and 2015
Fresno Bee
President Donald Trump’s estranged former lawyer is acknowledging that he paid a technology company to rig Trump’s standing in two online polls. Michael Cohen tweeted Thursday that “what I did was at the direction of and for the sole benefit of” Trump.
See also:
● Cohen Hired IT Firm to Rig Early CNBC, Drudge Polls to Favor Trump
Wall Street Journal
● Rudy Giuliani says Trump didn’t collude with Russia but can’t say if campaign aides did CNN
● Rudy Giuliani: ‘I never said there was no collusion’ between Trump campaign and Russia Washington Post
Washington Post
The General Services Administration “ignored” concerns that President Trump’s lease on a government-owned building — the one that houses his Trump International Hotel in Washington — might violate the Constitution when it allowed Trump to keep the lease after he took office, according to a new report from the agency’s inspector general.
See also:
● Watchdog Finds Flaws in Review of Trump Hotel Lease Wall Street Journal
● Impeach Donald Trump The Atlantic
2020 Democrats face a choice: Fight Trump or ignore him?
Modesto Bee
As the Democratic primary gets underway, Democrats must decide how — and whether — to respond to Trump’s pugnacious and insensitive attacks on his political opponents.
See also:
● Now a 2020 candidate, Gillibrand builds campaign on gender Sacramento Bee
● ‘Not enough staffers to go around’ – Democrats face talent shortage for 2020 campaigns Sacramento Bee
● Record Democratic field of White House contenders in 2020 signals an unpredictable race ahead USA Today
● A dilemma for Democratic hopefuls: Run to — or away from — big donors? Los Angeles Times
● Trump loses support from key constituency of white people without a college degree: poll The Hill
● Eyeing 2020, Priorities USA blows up ‘television-first strategy’ Politico
● The Shutdown Is Hurting Trump’s Approval Rating. But Will It Hurt Him in 2020? FiveThirtyEight
● 57% of voters say they won’t support Trump in 2020 PBS
● The Shutdown and the Next Election Wall Street Journal
Battle lines forming ahead of a looming US privacy law fight
Modesto Bee
Consumer advocates and the data-hungry technology industry are drawing early battle lines in advance of an expected fight this year over what kind of federal privacy law the U.S. should have.
Are Democrats hypocrites for demanding a public Mueller report?
Los Angeles Times
Having loudly complained about a “witch hunt” and sabotage by the “Deep State,” Trump supporters and the president himself should support maximum transparency about what that investigation has (or hasn’t) found. That means disclosing not only the results of the Mueller investigation but also how the special counsel reached his conclusions.
Congressional Democrats move to stop U.S. Census citizenship question
Reuters
Democrats in the U.S. Congress on Wednesday were moving ahead with legislation to prevent the Trump administration from adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census, following a court decision this week blocking inclusion of such information.
See also:
● What you need to know about the Census’ citizenship question PolitiFact
EDITORIAL: Trump’s horribly debunked ‘defeat’ of Islamic State
San Francisco Chronicle
President Trump’s decree that Islamic State extremists in Syria had been vanquished, issued to justify an abrupt decision to withdraw forces from the country, was provably untrue the moment it appeared on Twitter.
Other:
Report for America Enables a Unique Journalism Collaboration
CALmatters
Report for America, the national service program that places journalists in under-covered communities, is funding three reporters for an ambitious effort focused on California’s worst-in-the-nation poverty rate and the growing divide between the state’s rich and poor.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, January 20, at 10 a.m. on ABC 30 –Maddy Report:“New Laws – Future Legislation” – Guests: Dan Walters with CALmatters and Scott Lay with The Nooner – California Political Update. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, January 20, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: Valley Views Edition: “California Politics: A Look Back and A Look Forward” – Guests: John Myers (LA Times), Dan Walters and Laurel Rosenhall (CALmatters), Scott Lay with The Nooner, Mindy Romero with USC Price School of Public Policy and Joel Fox with Fox & Hounds. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, January 20, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Nuevas Leyes y Legislacion futura” – Guests: Alexei Koseff, Reportero de Sacramento Bee. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.
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AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Millennials hate raisins, prompting new Sun-Maid ad campaign
Business Journal
This is the first time the company has marketed the product in over a decade, he said. The company’s new ad taps into the nostalgia of eating this snack as a child.
One-time early CalFresh benefits release for February
Porterville Recorder
Due to the federal government shut-down, February CalFresh benefits (known as SNAP at the federal level) for most program participants are being issued early, January 16-20.
Groundwater pumping restrictions expected to further dampen once-hot market for local farmland
Bakersfield Californian
A new report on Kern’s agricultural real estate market suggests upcoming restrictions on groundwater pumping could drag down farmland values that have only recently stabilized after coming off peaks a few years ago.
Pot deliveries OK’d into California communities that ban sales
abc30
California endorsed a rule Wednesday that will allow home marijuana deliveries statewide, even into communities that have banned commercial pot sales.
Farmersville readies itself for cannabis retail shops
Porterville Recorder
With the cannabis industry on the rise, the City of Farmersville has climbed aboard and are ready to take the next steps in allowing cannabis retail establishments to enter into the city.
How long can Congress keep pretending marijuana legalization isn’t becoming the norm?
Los Angeles Times
It’s only January, but 2019 could be the year that a Green Wave of marijuana legalization sweeps across the country. Will it finally hit Washington, D.C., and force Congress to reform the nation’s woefully outdated marijuana laws?
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Footage of Fresno jail lobby shooting will be featured on Investigation Discovery
Fresno Bee
It’s been just over two years since Thong Vang opened fire inside the lobby of the Fresno County Jail, nearly killing correctional officers Juanita Davila and Toamalama Scanlan.
Public Safety:
Fired Tulare Police Chief Wes Hensley to get job back
abc30
After being placed on administrative leave, Hensley received a letter of termination from Tulare’s former city manager last March. It said Hensley was not being fired as police chief for misconduct, but because of a loss of confidence in his ability to lead the department.
‘Essential Employees’ At Fresno County Federal Prison Say Shutdown Affects Employee Safety
Valley Public Radio
As of this week, the partial government shutdown means many federal employees are going without a paycheck, some of whom are right here in the San Joaquin Valley.
Referendum Puts California’s Attempt To End To Cash Bail On Hold Until 2020
Capital Public Radio
The bail industry’s effort to force a referendum on the new California law that ends cash bail has qualified for the November 2020 ballot, freezing the law’s implementation until voters weigh in nearly two years from now.
See also:
● California’s historic overhaul of cash bail is now on hold, pending a 2020 referendum Los Angeles Times
● California law abolishing bail is put on hold until at least November 2020 San Francisco Chronicle
Feds Can’t Force You To Unlock Your iPhone With Finger Or Face, Judge Rules
Forbes
The ruling goes further to protect people’s private lives from government searches than any before and is being hailed as a potentially landmark decision.
Fire:
Government shutdown taking toll on wildfire preparations
Modesto Bee
Just two months after a wildfire wiped out Paradise, California, officials are gearing up for this year’s fire season and fear the government shutdown could make it even more difficult than one of the worst in history.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Damage inflicted by shutdown shaves off projected US economic growth on Day 26
abc30
The projected economic impact of the shutdown will be double what was expected, the White House confirmed on Day 26.
See also:
● Shutdown’s Economic Damage Starts to Pile Up, Threatening an End to Growth New York Times
● Nearly 10,000 companies contract with shutdown-affected agencies, putting $200 million a week at risk Washington Post
● Ann Coulter justifies shutdown: A wall is worth more than ‘the Yosemite gift shop being open’ Washington Post
● Shutdown Is a ‘Hellacious Situation’ for Federal Government Contractors Wall Street Journal
● White House challenges predictions of political hit if shutdown slows economy Roll Call
What does it take to sell your invention? Fresno’s inventors have a story to tell
Fresno Bee
Experts say the Valley is an ideal place to launch a new product or business. Mark Jackson, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Blue Dolphin Design and Engineering, said it’s in our blood to be tinkerers, inventors and creators.
Rural job creator – or competition killer? Proposed T-Mobile/Sprint merger examined
Fresno Bee
Fresno City Hall hosted on Jan. 15 one of three statewide hearings on how the potential merging of two of the four largest nationwide cell phone carriers would impact the community.
Tulare laying groundwork for economic boom
Business Journal
With renewed residential activity and new businesses opening, bolstering an already well-established retail scene, Tulare is on track for a growing economy.
Visalia Sears may survive: but for how long?
Visalia Times Delta
Sears Holdings could escape its brush with annihilation after the retailer’s chairman and largest investor prevailed in an auction for a shrunken version of the company.
The Real Cure for Economic Insecurity
Wall Street Journal
‘The gig economy is simply the next step in a losing effort to build some economic security in a world where all the benefits are floating to the top 10%.” So declared Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren in 2016.
Jobs:
Choosing between groceries and gas: Government shutdown hits Modesto woman hard
Fresno Bee
To Modesto CA’s Amira Muhammad, a TSA security screener at the Stockton airport, the government shutdown is more than a far-away political argument. Working without pay means choosing between groceries and gas.
See also:
● ‘I can’t afford gas in my car:’ Furloughed federal workers protest at Sacramento airport Modesto Bee
● New Poll: Nearly Three-Quarters of Federal Workers Oppose Shutdown, Majority Oppose Wall Government Executive
● With Back Pay Promised, Job-Growth Streak Likely to Continue Wall Street Journal
Central Valley Farmworker Wins $1 Million Settlement in Groundbreaking Labor Retaliation Case
KQED
A Central Valley farmworker was recently awarded a $1 million settlement after suing his former employer’s attorney for reporting him to immigration authorities as retaliation for a wage complaint.
Why a Modesto nonprofit that helps disabled faces loss of city contract to outsider
Modesto Bee
United Cerebral Palsy of Stanislaus County for two decades has taught jobs skills to developmentally disabled adults by having them clean, repair and maintain the benches at city bus stops, with many of them building on the skills they learn to get jobs with local businesses.
New Merced NAACP president hopes to drive down stubbornly high black unemployment
Merced Sun-Star
The number of black people who are unemployed and who struggle to find work in Merced County were looming topics this week as a new president took over the Merced chapter of the NAACP.
Supreme Court ruling gives truckers a victory and a new weapon in labor war at L.A. ports
Los Angeles Times
A U.S. Supreme Court ruling clearing the way for drivers to sue trucking companies could have a major impact on the labor battle that has raged for years at Southern California’s ports, according to worker advocates.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Video shows altercation between Bullard student and Fresno Unified trustee Terry Slatic
Fresno Bee
Video footage released Wednesday shows a physical scuffle between a Bullard High School student and Fresno Unified Area 7 Trustee Terry Slatic.
See also:
● Fresno Unified releases video of altercation between newly-elected board member and student abc30
● Student in Slatic Confrontation Remains in School, District Says GV Wire
● EDITORIAL: New trustee Terry Slatic is barging all over Fresno Unified, and it is not going well Fresno Bee
Hands-on learning makes school more fun
Visalia Times Delta
Wednesday morning wasn’t the typical school day for select students at Hurley Elementary School. Fifth-graders got out of the classroom and into the dirt as part of a mobile science classroom exhibit that made a stop at the Visalia campus. The lesson? Learning what it takes for plants to thrive.
Students’ business skills put to test with state Virtual Enterprises competition
Bakersfield Californian
High-school students in Kern County and across the state will demonstrate how well they can run a business this week.
California housing affordability crisis looms over education problems
CNBC
California’s housing affordability crisis has contributed to the challenge of school districts attracting and retaining teachers, but some are fighting back with special educator housing.
Higher Ed:
Deadline FAST APPROACHING: Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship
The Maddy Institute
Applications for two $56,000 Fellowships Due Friday, February 22nd, 2019. 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. The Maddy Institute will award two $56,000 Fellowships to Valley students who are accepted into a nationally ranked, qualified graduate program in the fall of 2019.
Fresno State president shares vision for new spring semester and beyond
abc30
While Fresno State students take care of last-minute tasks on campus for the new semester faculty and staff gathered to prepare for the spring and beyond. University President Dr. Joseph Castro shared his vision and goals for Fresno State.
Critical UC Davis campus alert system failed during Corona shooting, officials say
Fresno Bee
A critical emergency alert system designed to warn UC Davis students and staff failed the night Davis police Officer Natalie Corona was shot and killed blocks from the campus, university officials announced, calling the breakdown “unacceptable.”
Amid protests, UC regents weigh plan to build housing on beloved UC Santa Cruz meadow
Los Angeles Times
A plan by UC Santa Cruz to build student housing on a beloved campus meadow sparked sharp disagreement — with no sign of compromise — at a University of California regents meeting on Wednesday.
Modesto Junior College instructors get big raise; other unions strike for better pay
Modesto Bee
Instructors at Modesto Junior College and Columbia College near Sonora overwhelmingly ratified a contract that amounts to a 10 percent pay increase for faculty. Suddenly, strikes are a tactic for public employee unions.
Van Horn discusses West Hill’s accomplishments and goals
Hanford Sentinel
Dr. Stuart Van Horn, West Hills Community College District chancellor, welcomed the new spring 2019 semester, which began Jan. 11, with his annual State of the District address.
EdSource
Her success reflects what community college officials hope many students will experience this year when the state’s 114 community colleges must conform with a new state law known as AB 705, which requires that students be given alternatives to remedial courses.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Democrats question acting EPA chief on urgency of climate change, impact of shutdown
abc30
Senators on Wednesday questioned acting Environmental Protection Agency chief Andrew Wheeler in his confirmation hearing to replace Scott Pruitt permanently.
See also:
● Republicans Praise, Democrats Grill Andrew Wheeler In EPA Chief Confirmation Hearing Capital Public Radio
● EPA nominee Wheeler says climate change is neither a hoax nor the ‘greatest crisis’ Los Angeles Times
● On path to Senate confirmation, Trump’s EPA pick has tried to avoid Scott Pruitt’s missteps Los Angeles Times
● EDITORIAL: Trump keeps failing to drain the swamp Visalia Times Delta
Business Worries About Climate Intensify. Business Actions to Fix it, Not So Much.
Wall Street Journal
If the first step to solving a problem is admitting you have a problem, this should mean climate change is well on its way to being solved. The reason it isn’t is that the world is much readier to admit climate change is a problem than to do anything about it.
See also:
● Economists’ Statement on Carbon Dividends Wall Street Journal
Filthy Death Valley bathroom took unpaid rangers hours to clean, time-lapse shows
Fresno Bee
Amid a government shutdown, unpaid Death Valley rangers cleaned one dirty bathroom for hours as the national park prepares to reopen some closed areas — despite the funding lapse over Trump’s border wall.
Energy:
Carrizo Plains solar farm’s credit rating drops to ‘junk’ as PG&E bankruptcy looms
Fresno Bee
S&P Global downgraded the credit rating for Topaz Solar Farm in Carrizo Plains, California, due to PG&E bankruptcy rumors. The SLO County solar farm’s energy contract is primarily with the utility business.
See also:
● Your Questions About PG&E, Answered Capital Public Radio
● Newsom gets no honeymoon as PG&E bankruptcy hits San Francisco Chronicle
● PG&E’s Road to Bankruptcy KQED
● PG&E bankruptcy plan leads SF to reconsider public power system San Francisco Chronicle
● Sell PG&E for parts and build community energy instead CALmatters
● EDITORIAL: It’s time to talk about radical changes to California’s utilities Los Angeles Times
Local PG&E crews prepare for damage caused by high wind speeds
abc30
For PG&E crews, the incoming storm brings concerns of wind speeds. The trees in the Valley have been weakened by drought. Workers are worried that branches will break or the wind will pick up debris and slam it into power lines.
‘Overwhelming’ opposition to oil activity may present challenge to local industry
Bakersfield Californian
In a growing political challenge to Kern’s biggest industry, public comments on an upcoming environmental study show California oil production continues to face broad public skepticism outside the county.
California’s energy grid is in crisis. Can the state keep the lights on?
Sacramento Bee
With California leading a new energy landscape, officials are racing to design a future that will not just reshape power production and delivery but also dictate how we get around and how our goods are made.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Poor sleep linked to dangerous plaque buildup in arteries
abc30
There is new evidence that not getting enough sleep may lead to dangerous plaque buildup in your arteries. Plaque can put people at risk for heart problems, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and other health conditions.
Glass of wine while pregnant? ‘The only safe amount to drink is none,’ new study says
Merced Sun-Star
Alcohol consumption during pregnancy, even light drinking, is unsafe for babies, UW researchers found in a study of twins, siblings and fetal alcohol syndrome in the journal Advances in Pediatric Research.
Candlelight vigil to bring hope, healing to those affected by addiction
Bakersfield Californian
An event next week wants to shine a light on addiction and the lives it takes. Though the disease is not often talked about, organizers believe that is the only way healing can take place.
Gavin Newsom made a big move on drug pricing. Will it save you money?
Sacramento Bee
Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to deliver lower drug prices by harnessing the full weight of the state against the pharmaceutical industry, but it’s unclear whether his team can get a better deal without giving up something Californians want.
Here Are California’s New Laws To Address The State’s Opioid Crisis
Capital Public Radio
About two-thirds of last year’s big pile of bills designed to tackle the opioid crisis became law. Here’s what they do.
Human Services:
That Newsom proposal for six-month paid family leave? It’s bold—but less so than it seems
CALmatters
The proposal is not quite as generous as it initially seemed. It calls for each baby to get up to six months of care from a family member, dividing the time between two adults each taking a paid leave of two to four months.
SJ General Hospital’s new wing ‘just about ready to roll’
Stockton Record
Facing an end-of-the-year deadline to have all patients moved out of its 87-year-old Depression-era Towers Building, San Joaquin General Hospital is anticipating the opening this summer of its new $41 million Acute Care Patient Wing.
Faith-Based Organizations Promote Well-Being in Underserved Communities
RAND
In recent years, dozens of churches like Friendly Friendship have partnered with RAND to confront two of the biggest killers in their communities: HIV and obesity.
IMMIGRATION
Could A State Law Block A Kern County Detention Facility From Operating?
Valley Public Radio
GEO is a private company that contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to operate this building, the Mesa Verde Detention Facility.
How many ‘criminal aliens’ were stopped at the border last year?
PolitiFact
U.S. Customs and Border Protection data shows that 17,000 people with criminal records were stopped last year. That’s out of a total of more than 566,000 people apprehended between ports of entries, stopped from coming in at ports of entries and other enforcement actions, or 3 percent.
IG: Trump administration took thousands more migrant children from parents
Washington Post
The Trump administration separated thousands more migrant children from their parents at the U.S. border than has previously been made public, according to an investigative report released Thursday, but the federal tracking system has been so poor that the precise number is hazy.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
A Southwest Fresno Park’s Gritty Past As A Landfill
Valley Public Radio
Listen to the audio for more on where it is, what it looks like now, and why the former Fresno Sanitary Landfill was innovative enough to be named a National Historic Landmark.
Housing:
Tulare County wants to use state money to end homelessness
Visalia Times Delta
Tulare County officials took steps forward to address the local homeless issues in Visalia and Porterville. Officials will seek money to increase affordable housing and continue a partnership with Self-Help Enterprises following an approval Tuesday by supervisors.
County steps up efforts to reach homeless with targeted outreach
Bakersfield Californian
Early Wednesday morning, a small collection of city and county officials, as well law enforcement officers, met in a parking lot outside Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services.
Gov. Gavin Newsom Says California Is Continuing The Discussion On Rent Control
Capital Public Radio
At a roundtable discussion on California’s housing crisis, Gov. Gavin Newsom says conversations are underway with industry groups on rent stabilization.
See also:
● Californians share housing struggles with Newsom San Francisco Chronicle
● Price Gouging KPBS
Walters: Should California revive redevelopment?
CALmatters
Local governments, cities mostly, could deem neighborhoods as “blighted,” borrow money through bonds to improve housing and other services, and repay the loans from the property tax “increments” that those improvements generated.
Fed Says Student Debt Has Hurt the U.S. Housing Market
Wall Street Journal
The Federal Reserve has linked rising student debt to a drop in homeownership among young Americans and the flight of college graduates from rural areas, two big shifts that have helped reshape the U.S. economy.
PUBLIC FINANCES
California’s State and Local Liabilities Total $1.5 Trillion
California Policy Center
We estimate that California’s total state and local government debt as of June 30, 2017 totaled just over $1.5 trillion. That total includes all outstanding bonds, loans, and other long-term liabilities.
See also:
● The 2019-20 Budget Legislative Analyst’s Office
● Surplus CALmatters
About That Giant California Budget Surplus
Capital Public Radio
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s finance team put the surplus into three buckets: $3 billion for education and social services, $8.5 billion in one-time spending and $10 billion to build what Newsom is calling “budget resiliency.”
Furloughed IRS workers face increased pressure, ordered to work without pay
abc30
Since local IRS workers staged a rally last week to protest the government shutdown –the politics have become personal. And the employees just want to get back to work.
See Also:
● Fresno IRS Workers Rally Against The Shutdown VPR
● Even if the shutdown ends today, the IRS may not issue you a timely tax refund Los Angeles Times
Lots of plans to boost tax credits: which is best?
Brookings
Recent expansions to the CTC are not likely to be socially beneficial, especially given their costs, but there is a strong case to reform the CTC to better target poor families.
TRANSPORTATION
The Best and Worst U.S. Airlines of 2018
Wall Street Journal
Delta Air Lines is flying in one direction, American Airlines in the other. While Delta’s operation was best among major airlines, American remains stuck near the bottom when measuring its reliability against rival airlines.
WATER
Key California Ag Region Ponders What’s Next After Voters Spurn Bond to Fix Sinking Friant-Kern Canal
Water Education Foundation
A plan to fix land subsidence helped sink the $8.8 billion Proposition 3 bond measure last November. Now San Joaquin Valley water managers are trying to figure out another way to restore the canal, not only to keep farmers farming, but to aid the valley’s overtaxed groundwater aquifers.
Rainfall could mean more mudslides for mountain community
Sierra Star
A strong storm system will be passing through the southern Sierra Nevada foothills this week, possibly causing some dangerous road conditions, according to weather officials.
See also:
● Officials watching Bear Creek as heavier rain comes to Merced Merced Sun-Star
● California snowpack surges after slow start. Will it be enough to combat years of drought? Visalia Times-Delta
● The atmospheric river is here. Here’s how to prep for a flood, power outage, or other disaster Merced Sun-Star
● Recent storms bring much needed snow to Sierra Visalia Times Delta
● Atmospheric river bearing down on region Stockton Record
● Forecasters not being coy: ‘Multiple systems’ to hit Kern with rain, wind and snow Bakersfield Californian
● Atmospheric River Brings Rain And Risk To California Capital Public Radio
California’s Favorite Snow Surveyor Retires
Capital Public Radio
After three decades at the Department of Water Resources, Frank Gehrke is retiring from measuring California’s snowpack.
“Xtra”
Three board members sworn in at Clovis Veterans Memorial District
Clovis Roundup
The Clovis Veterans Memorial District Board swore in three members on Thursday, Jan. 10 at the Veterans Memorial Building. Clovis Veterans Memorial District CEO Lorenzo Rios said the community elected great leaders and the values of the community are represented in the votes.
Central Valley Transfer Coalition giving animals a second chance on life
abc30
Through the Central Valley Transfer Coalition dogs and cats are getting a second chance, it is a partnership between the San Francisco S-P-C-A and other Bay Area Shelters.
Full day of activities planned for MLK Day on Monday
Bakersfield Californian
Much can be learned about the character of a community by the way it honors historic and heroic national figures.
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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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