POLICY & POLITICS
Valley:
Villaraigosa and Cox bring campaigns for Governor to Fresno
ABC30
Republican John Cox and Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa are in a tight race, hoping to advance to the November primary election. On Tuesday, both came to Fresno to make a final pitch to Valley voters.
See also:
● 'I think the Valley matters' says Governor candidate Antonio Villaraigosa on his return visit to Fresno Fresno Bee
'Your state's in trouble,' evangelist Franklin Graham tells Christians in Fresno
Fresno Bee
Politics and sin were cornerstones of an impassioned sermon by evangelist Franklin Graham on Monday night in Fresno.
See also:
● Graham crusade of another sort comes to Turlock, a week before California primary Modesto Bee
● The Evangelical Fight to Win Back California New York Times
Madera County registered voters can cast ballots anytime through Election Day
Sierra Star
Madera County is the only one in the region using the Voter’s Choice Act – all registered voters received their ballot by mail for the Tuesday, June 5 election. Vote Centers are open in Oakhurst and Madera through Election Day, the Madera County elections office reminds.
Tulare mayor says he won't quit, wants to talk ag
Visalia Times-Delta
Tulare farmers will soon have the opportunity to voice their concerns regarding comments made by Mayor Carlton Jones regarding their livelihood.
Price: More down-ballot drama in judicial race
Bakersfield Californian
Another week, another round of allegations about Brandon Martin's fitness-slash-eligibility for the Kern County Superior Court bench.
New court executive officer selected for Kern County Superior Court
Bakersfield Californian
Tamarah Harber-Pickens has been appointed court executive officer of Kern County Superior Court.
State:
CA Republican registration falls behind no party preference
Sacramento Bee
Independents have surpassed Republicans to become the second-largest voting bloc in California, according to a firm that analyzes county voter registration information for campaigns.
See also:
● Latest voter registration: Independents top GOP Capitol Weekly
● Analysis: Why You Should Focus on Independents Roll Call
California Today: The Primary Is Coming. Here’s a Look at the Key Races.
New York Times
For most people, the biggest day on the political calendar is the first Tuesday in November — Election Day. But in California, a more critical date may be next Tuesday, June 5.
See also:
● 'Vagueness goes a long way in politics:' Immigration effort in limbo for CA primary Sacramento Bee
● California Midterm Elections 2018: The Top 10 Races to Watch New York Times
● In California’s Farm Country, the Tide of ‘Resistance’ Runs Dry Ahead of the Primary New York Times
● Podcast: California’s Top Two Primary Looms Over House Democrats Roll Call
Candidates for governor sprint across California as election day approaches
Los Angeles Times
Candidates for California governor barnstormed the state on Tuesday, launching their final outreach to voters in the run-up to the June 5 primary.
See also:
● California Governor's Campaign Enters Final Stretch Capital Public Radio
● Is 'sanctuary state' the best political issue for the GOP in years? Not in California, experts warn Sacramento Bee
● How California political ads fool voters, while candidates keep hands clean San Francisco Chronicle
● Even in California, Democratic Women Must Overcome Political Hurdles Roll Call
● Women Reaching New Levels in Political Donations Roll Call
● That political mailer on your kitchen counter isn't what it seems Sacramento Bee
Gavin Newsom: Dems should root for GOP candidate to make fall ballot
San Francisco Chronicle
Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom suggested Tuesday that California Democrats might be better off with a Republican running against him on the November ballot for governor, rather than dealing with an expensive, Democrat versus Democrat battle.
See also:
● Newsom warns of divisive Democratic battle if he and Villaraigosa advance to general election for California governor Los Angeles Times
● Gavin Newsom on running for president: ‘Not even of passing interest to me’ San Jose Mercury News
● Gavin Newsom insists his campaign tactic won’t really cost Democrats the House CALmatters
John Cox seeks to consolidate GOP support as he courts voters in the Central Valley
Los Angeles Times
Republican John Cox kicked off the final week of his campaign by starting a tour with GOP attorney general candidate Steven Bailey, first stopping in Bakersfield and then Fresno.
Villaraigosa courts Central Valley voters and touts law enforcement endorsements
Los Angeles Times
Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa kicked off the final week of the gubernatorial campaign with a drive from Los Angeles to Fresno, where he nabbed the endorsement of Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer, visited a boxing program for troubled youth and planned to end the day at a Teamsters union hall.
Politifact CA: Did Travis Allen oppose driver licenses for undocumented immigrants?
Politifact CA
Republican gubernatorial candidates John Cox and Travis Allen are competing for the conservative vote in California’s June primary. As part of that competition, they’re trying to prove who has the toughest credentials on immigration. Or, in the case of a recent TV attack ad by the Cox campaign, disprove their opponents’ record on the issue.
California net neutrality bill goes to state Senate for a vote
Mercury News
California this week could take a step closer to having its own net neutrality rules. The state Senate is expected to vote this week on a bill by State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, which is being touted as the most comprehensive state net neutrality bill in the nation.
See also:
● States Stumble on Internet Privacy Pew Charitable Trusts
● California votes on its own net neutrality rules today Fast Company
With election days away, California's top political ethics cop abruptly quits
Sacramento Bee
Jodi Remke, who Gov. Jerry Brown appointed in 2014, stepped down as the chair of the Fair Political Practices Commission amid ongoing turmoil.
See also:
● Chairwoman of California's state campaign watchdog agency resigns amid power struggle Los Angeles Times
EDITORIAL: How ranked-choice voting works — and doesn’t
San Francisco Chronicle
Though the system was introduced in 2002, ranked choice (also known as instant runoff) remains a baffling experience for many voters.
Task Force Aims to Address California’s High Child Poverty Rate — but Policymakers Can Also Act Now
California Budget & Policy Center
A state task force — the Lifting Children and Families Out of Poverty Task Force, established last year by Assembly Bill 1520 — is examining the problem of child poverty in California and will develop recommendations to guide state policymakers.
Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra sued by Republican challenger over qualifications to hold office
Los Angeles Times
California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra’s campaign manager disputed allegations in a lawsuit filed Tuesday by Republican challenger Eric Early that the incumbent does not meet qualifications to hold office and should be kept off the November ballot.
Walters: Conservative Supreme Court helps blue California
CALmatters
When the U.S. Supreme Court set aside a federal law prohibiting states from legalizing gambling on sports, it elated pro-gambling interests and ignited a storm of media speculation about potential impacts on amateur and professional athletics.
Federal:
California Democrats agonize over House primaries
Politico
Omar Siddiqui, a long-shot Democrat running for Congress in Southern California, was guaranteed two questions at a crowded candidate forum last week. But instead of probing his positions or qualifications, the moderators questioned his very presence in the race: “Shouldn’t you consider dropping out?”
See also:
● Democrats may be in for a surprise in 2018 Washington Post
Fact Check: President Trump
Fact Check: President Trump says he gave boost to military pay, veteran care PBS NewsHour
● How accurate is Donald Trump about black, Hispanic unemployment? PolitiFact
● The art of the evidence-free claim. How Trump gets by without sourcing what he says PBS NewsHour
● Donald Trump wrongly claims border wall is under construction PolitiFact
● In closing argument, Donald Trump wrongly says he outdraws Beyonce, Jay Z PolitiFact
Fewer Republicans say moral leadership ‘very important’ for president: Gallup
TheHill
Fewer Republicans are likely to say now that it is important for the president to provide moral leadership than they were under the Clinton administration, according to a Gallup poll released Tuesday.
Is Donald Trump Really a Danger to U.S. Democracy?
National Review
Trump’s windiness is bad for the public discourse, but not a long-term threat to the republic.
Calbuzz: Why Steyer is Wrong, Wrong, Wrong on Impeachment
CalBuzz
Tom Steyer, the billionaire entrepreneur and Democratic activist, is right that the only way to get rid of President Donald Trump is to impeach him. But Steyer is dead wrong – and his millions invested in his impeachment petition compound the problem – that now is the time for all good men and women to come to the aid of their country.
Supreme Court Shuts Workers Out of the Courthouse for Good
New York Magazine
A conservative majority on the Supreme Court ruled that workers who are made to sign arbitration agreements that rule out class or collective lawsuits may not then band together and rely on federal labor law to give them legal recourse to sue their employers anyway.
Video: No Representative in Congress? Don’t Worry, the House Clerk Has Your Back
Roll Call
There are currently seven vacant House seats in Congress — that means almost five million Americans don’t have a voting member representing them. Editor Jason Dick explains what exactly happens in an office representing people with no representative.
Other:
Do Not Sell My Personal Information: California Eyes Data Privacy Measure
KQED
As Europe's sweeping new privacy law went into effect on Friday, California voters may get to decide on strict privacy laws for their state. An initiative likely headed for November's ballot in California would be one of the broadest online privacy regulations in the U.S. and could impact standards throughout the country.
The Odd Political Alliance Behind Today’s Gerrymandering
New York Times
Over the last two or three decades, aided by clever map-drawing software, Republicans have turbocharged the process of gerrymandering in some states where they have total political control.
EDITORIAL: Starbucks gets it. Roseanne doesn't. Racism won't fly in the new corporate America
Sacramento Bee
Two West Coast corporations — Disney-owned ABC and Starbucks — went out on a limb Tuesday to defend diversity and inclusion. For the record, that's not just because those values are a left coast thing. Rather, it's because racism is increasingly costly, as its own defenders are discovering.
See also:
● Roseanne Barr Downfall: High Cost of Embracing Craziness National Review
EDITORIAL: Can America Grow Like It Used To?
Wall Street Journal
There are reasons to think not, chief among them the aging population.
Community remembers Tehachapi Mayor Ed Grimes at memorial
Bakersfield Californian
Tehachapi Mayor Ed Grimes was remembered Tuesday as “Voice of the Warriors,” “Mr. Tehachapi,” “Coach Grimes,” “Papa Ed” and ultimately as an ambassador for the city of Tehachapi.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, June 3, at 10 a.m. on ABC 30 – Maddy Report: “Candidate for Governor: Antonio Villaraigosa” – Guest: Antonio Villaraigosa, Former LA Mayor and Candidate for Governor. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, June 3, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “Gubernatorial Candidate Antonio Villaraigosa & Cal Facts” – Guests: Former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; James Mayer, President and CEO, CA Fwd; Fred Silva, Senior Fiscal Policy Advisor, CA Fwd; Matt Lege, Research Analyst, SEIU UHW; Cathy Martin, VP of Workforce Policy, California Hospital Association; Cathy Creswell, Housing Policy Specialist, Creswell Consulting. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, June 3, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “California's Top Ten” – Guest: Alexei Koseff, Sacramento Bee reporter. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.
Support the Maddy Daily HERE.
Thank you!
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
State Farmers Supported Trump. Now His Trade Policies Have Them Worried.
New York Times
In the heavily agrarian San Joaquin Valley, where several Republican members of Congress are expected to pull off easy re-elections, the election mood is decidedly less feverish.
Renewed talk of tariffs on China worries local ag groups
Bakersfield Californian
Central Valley farm organizations fear fallout from the Trump administration's trade dispute with China will hurt local growers.
Farm wages rise as labor supply tightens
Bakersfield Californian
It's hard work, but Joan Ibarra gladly harvests bok choy eight hours a day in the Bakersfield sun. Competition for farmworkers has gotten so tough lately that the 19-year-old now earns $12 per hour, plus a bonus for high productivity — more than he has ever made in his six years working local fields.
FresYes: A pat on the head not to be ignored
Clovis Roundup
California farmers seem to receive more than their share of kicks in the tail, but they can and should acknowledge gratefully one recent pat on the head.
Illegal pot grows found in Yosemite, forests. Officials crack down, citing 'catastrophic' poisons
Merced Sun Star
Citing new scientific evidence of "catastrophic" impacts on California's forests and wildlife, law enforcement officials in Sacramento announced a new crackdown Tuesday on illegal marijuana growing sites statewide that they say are run by Mexican drug cartels.
See also:
Illegal pot grows spread deadly pesticides, other hazards, despite change in law San Francisco Chronicle
● Prosecutors step up targeting of illegal pot farms in California Los Angeles Times
● California, US team up on an issue that divides them: pot Merced Sun Star
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Tulare County school district settles sexual abuse lawsuit for $2.8 million
Fresno Bee
Monson-Sultana Joint Union School District in Tulare County has paid $2.8 million to settle lawsuits with four former students who say they were the victims of sexual abuse by former teacher David Blancas.
California prisons phase out 'sensitive needs' yards. Critics see a rough transition
Sacramento Bee
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is changing how inmates are housed, saying current separations between general population inmates and those held in sensitive needs yards have been ineffective in eliminating gangs and violence within prison walls.
In Win For Privacy Rights, Court Says Police Need Warrant To Search Area Around Home
In a win for privacy rights, the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that police may not search the area around a private home without a warrant, even when they think they have seen stolen property on the premises.
See also:
● Supreme Court extends privacy protection to cars in a driveway Los Angeles Times
Public Safety:
A California church flirts with an unusual social experiment: to never call police again
Los Angeles Times
The First Congregational Church of Oakland would never call the cops again in nearly every circumstance. Dozens of members had agreed to do the same.
California Senate approves raising age to buy long guns
AP
California would raise the age for buying rifles and shotguns from 18 to 21 and bar people from buying more than one long gun each month under a bill advancing in the Legislature. It’s been a frequently debated topic nationwide after a Florida high school shooting that killed 17 people.
See also:
● How the assassinations of 1968 led the NRA to become the lobbying force it is today Washington Post
Fire:
Salida Fire looks to bill insurance for some of its calls
Modesto Bee
The Salida Fire Protection District intends to bill the insurance of the people it helps, including when its firefighters respond to car crashes and house fires, though it will not bill for emergency medical calls.
PG&E shares crash after getting blame for some fires, 175 lawsuits
San Jose Mercury
PG&E shares nose-dived Tuesday, the first trading day after state fire investigators revealed that the embattled utility’s power lines had sparked four blazes in Nevada and Butte counties in October.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Don’t pick on California: 47 other state economies can’t keep pace
OCRegister
When folks complain about California’s sub-par housing development and other economic challenges — and the purported drag created for the state’s business climate — they’re often using the wrong scales. That’s because overall national growth since the Great Recession is essentially California plus Texas and Florida — then everybody else.
California Must Be Doing Something Right in Trump’s America
Bloomberg
Just about every policy Donald Trump imposes to make his America great is opposed by the world's fifth-largest economy. That would be California, which is growing faster and outperforming the U.S. in job growth, manufacturing, personal income, corporate profits and the total return of its bonds.
See also:
● How Exposed Is Your State to Trade Tensions? Route Fifty
● Is U.S. 'finally seeing rising wages,' as Donald Trump said? Politifact
● On trade, NAFTA trumps everything AEI
● America First Meets Mr. Market Wall Street Journal
No, Dodd-Frank was neither repealed nor gutted. Here’s what really happened.
Brookings
Aaron Klein debunks five myths that have emerged around the changes signed into law last week to the post-recession financial regulatory framework and makes a surprising conclusion: Dodd-Frank is likely here to stay.
Jobs:
Bitwise Hive adds space for Fresno technology entrepreneurs
Fresno Bee
Bitwise is opening The Hive, a 50,000-square-foot space for tech tenants. It is the fifth site that Bitwise has opened or is building in downtown Fresno as it strives to establish the area as a haven for technology-oriented businesses and entrepreneurs.
America has a massive truck driver shortage. Here’s why few want an $80,000 job.
Washington Post
America has a shortage of 51,000 truck drivers. The job pays a middle-class wage, yet few people want it. Six drivers explain why.
America’s elite communities are leaving the rest of the country behind. Now what?
AEI
Researchers there found that the nearly 7 million jobs added between 2000 and 2015 “overwhelmingly flowed” into the nation’s most prosperous communities.
EDUCATION
K-12:
California schools are short of teachers. One reason? They’re going to Texas
Fresno Bee
In 11 of the past 14 years, California has seen a net loss of teachers to other states. But when adjusted for cost of living, teachers in Texas make about as much as their peers in California.
See also:
● Will This Year’s Budget Provide Funding to Address the State’s Bilingual Teacher Shortage? California Budget and Policy center
That early help you need for your child doesn't come soon enough
Sacramento Bee
A statewide system charged with helping infants and toddlers with developmental delays often fails to provide timely access to crucial therapies – and sometimes struggles to provide them at all – according to interviews with dozens of families, attorneys and service providers.
Why tiny brains are getting massive attention in the California governor's race
89.3 KPCC
During the recession, state funding for programs like infant toddler care and preschool was severely cut — and those funds have not been restored under Gov. Jerry Brown. Early childhood advocates have been campaigning for months to get the next governor on board with their efforts.
See also:
● Candidates for governor of California share their thoughts on education EdSource
Marshall Tuck cites need for change, action plan in 2nd run for California schools chief
EdSource
Armed with his own Marshall Plan for education, Marshall Tuck is running for California’s top job in K-12 education to advance ideas and policies he pursued as a school executive for charter and district schools in Los Angeles.
Higher Ed:
10,000 4.0 students didn't get into Cal Poly. Here's what it took to make the cut this year
Fresno Bee
Overall, less than a third of high school applicants were accepted for fall 2018 admission this year, according to data provided by the university.
A federal court gives defrauded Corinthian College students a victory over Betsy DeVos
Los Angeles Times
A federal magistrate has blocked the U.S. Department of Education from paring back a loan relief program for defrauded students at the failed Corinthian Colleges chain, finding that the agency invaded students' privacy in fashioning a new program.
After Obama-Era Crackdown, For-Profit Colleges Seek Nonprofit Status
Wall Street Journal
More than a dozen for-profit colleges across the country are looking to become nonprofit institutions, a change that would make them subject to less federal oversight and shed the often-maligned “for-profit” designation.
California Community Colleges launch Self-Employment Pathways in the Gig Economy project
California Economy Reporting
California Community Colleges' has launched the Self-Employment Pathways in the Gig Economy project, funded by their Strong Workforce Program. The purpose of the project is to prepare students to become freelancers and independent contractors in the growing gig economy.
Elevating college completion: What can be done to raise postsecondary attainment in America?
AEI
Federal higher education debates often focus on expanding access to postsecondary education, but policymakers must also consider ways to get more students to actually complete their studies.
Apprenticeships:
Garbage collectors in training bag good jobs
San Francisco Chronicle
Civicorps, an East Bay program offers young adults, ages 18 to 26, a path to a high school diploma, if they still need one, and job training — including a chance to learn how to drive large trucks and ultimately apprentice as a garbage truck driver for Waste Management of Alameda County Inc., before becoming a full-fledged and unionized garbage man
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Mercury News
Prop. 70, which is opposed by environmentalists, asks voters whether Democratic lawmakers in Sacramento should give Republicans more of a say in how to spend billions of dollars raised from the state’s cap-and-trade program.
See also
High-Speed Rail and Tree Fresno Begin Tree Planting Program at West Fresno Middle School California High-Speed Rail Authority
As the temperature ramps up to triple digits, be aware of what the heat will bring
Bakersfield Californian
Welcome to unofficial summer, Bakersfield. Now that the holiday is behind us, it's time for the annual rite of passage that is June-September - triple digit heat.
Los Angeles Times
With a key deadline a month away, two national paint companies are turning up the pressure on California lawmakers to absolve them of potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in legal penalties from lead paint hazards.
See also:
● EDITORIAL: Paint companies poisoned people with lead additives. Now they want a billion-dollar bailout Los Angeles Times
California has a recycling crisis. The only way to solve it is to stop making so much trash
Los Angeles Times
Californians use — and then toss — a tremendous amount of paper and plastic packaging material every day: takeout coffee cups and lids, cereal boxes, wine bottles, plastic bags, clamshell food containers, and on and on.
See also:
● Fears Grow Among Central Valley Recyclers as China Denies U.S. Recyclables KQED
Straws. Bottle caps. Polyester. These are the new targets of California's environmental movement
Los Angeles Times
It took years of activist campaigns to turn the plastic bag into a villain, and hard-fought legislation to reduce its presence in oceans and waterways. Now, environmentalists and lawmakers are deploying similar tactics against a new generation of plastic pollutants.
Energy:
EDITORIAL: Fossil-Fuel Divestment Is Futile
Wall Street Journal
The fossil-fuel divestment campaign has made its way from the campus quad to Wall Street. Watch for disruptions at Wednesday’s annual meeting of Exxon Mobil shareholders.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Here's why these birth control pills don't work and have been recalled
Fresno Bee
Allergan recalled one lot of Taytulla birth control pill sample packs after a packaging snafu put placebo capsules in slots meant for actual birth control capsules.
See also:
SJ hospitals certified as primary stroke centers
Stockton Record
A newly established system that aims to hasten diagnosis and treatment for stroke sufferers in San Joaquin County took effect this month, an event worthy of a “wonderful celebration,” according to Mary Nicholson, an advocate for stroke survivors.
Not Enough Nurses? Parents Sue California Over Sick Kids’ Lack Of Access To At-Home Care.
The families filing the lawsuit are not asking for compensation, they just want to see change, Leiner said. The problem is tied to a statewide nursing shortage and low Medi-Cal reimbursement rates.
A Scaled-Back Bid To Care For Undocumented Californians
After shelving a plan to provide full government health benefits to all undocumented, low-income adults in the state, California lawmakers are trying to extend coverage to seniors and the disabled in that population.
Supreme Court refuses for now to block Arkansas abortion restrictions
Los Angeles Times
The Supreme Court has refused — for now — to block an Arkansas abortion law that could prevent most women there from ending their early pregnancies with medication.
EDITORIAL: Court should recognize health of California’s right-to-die law
Mercury News
Right-to-die gives terminal patients the humane option of dying with dignity, rather than in excruciating pain.
Human Services:
New Medicare cards arriving in California mailboxes
San Diego Union-Tribune
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is mailing new Medicare cards to protect the safety and security of people with Medicare benefits.
EDITORIAL: Why CVS Loves ObamaCare
Wall Street Journal
Medicaid expansion helps big business reduce competition. Ohio is a case study.
IMMIGRATION
'Vagueness goes a long way in politics:' Immigration effort in limbo for CA primary
Sacramento Bee
Vulnerable Republicans in California have a way to stifle Democratic criticisms over Dreamers before the June 5 primary — they can tout a deal involving Dreamers without having to cast any votes until after the polls close.
See also:
5 Obstacles to a House Republican Immigration Deal Roll Call
● Trump Administration Defends Its Immigration Policies Wall Street Journal
● Centrist Republicans Gain Support in Effort to Force Immigration Votes Wall Street Journal
● McConnell Plays Down Chances of New Senate Vote on Immigration Wall Street Journal
Donald Trump blames Democrats for own immigration policy separating families
PolitiFact
President Donald Trump wrongly blamed Democrats for his own administrator’s immigration policy. "Put pressure on the Democrats to end the horrible law that separates children from there (sic) parents once they cross the Border into the U.S.," Trump tweeted.
See also:
● Trump exposes the hypocrisy of Christian Republicans Washington Post
● Donald Trump wrongly blames Democrats for 'catch and release' immigration policy PolitiFact
● Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated claims about chain migration, NYC terror suspect PolitiFact
● Trump correctly tweets that Democrats mistakenly tweeted photo of child migrants being held in 2014 PolitiFact
● Donald Trump's false claim that Nancy Pelosi 'came out in favor of MS-13' PolitiFact
● Donald Trump exaggerates on number of MS-13 gang members deported PolitiFact
● EDITORIAL: No, Democrats aren't responsible for families being torn apart at the border Los Angeles Times
● EDITORIAL: How Trump’s immigration policy is harming children San Francisco Chronicle
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Clovis plans to widen Willow Avenue
Clovis Roundup
Willow Avenue will be getting a much-needed additional northbound lane, along with curbs and gutters, from Shepherd and Copper avenues, come 2019.
Bitwise continuing to spread its wings in downtown Fresno. Latest venture is colorful, too
Fresno Bee
Bitwise Industries, Fresno's home-grown and fast-growing collection of trendy technology hubs, is adding another building to its web across downtown Fresno.
Housing:
California housing crisis podcast: How evictions affect people's lives
Los Angeles Times
The big fight in California this year over tenant issues will be in November, when voters are
likely to weigh in on an initiative that would expand rent control across the state.
See also:
● California’s High Rent Leaves Many One Crisis Away From Financial Ruin capradio.org
● Quest for Affordable Housing Drives People Away From the Coasts The Pew Charitable Trusts
First-Time Buyer Indices update on February 2018 data
AEI
First-time buyer (FTB) mortgage risk jumped in February, helping FTBs overcome rising prices driven by dwindling inventories of homes for sale.
The new solar mandate: A leap forward or a step back?
San Diego Union-Tribune
Besides generating complaints about raising the cost of new homes in an already expensive housing market in California, the new solar mandate has been criticized by some energy wonks who say the rule does not make economic sense and does nothing to reduce the glut of electricity already generated in the state in the middle of the day.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Los Angeles Times
Members of the California Legislature’s budget conference committee convene Wednesday with one task above all others: reconcile the plans put forth by their two houses, both of which would be more costly than the proposal crafted by Gov. Jerry Brown.
Gas tax repeal threats drive Jerry Brown to the aid of vulnerable Democrats
Sacramento Bee
While a proposed gas tax repeal has yet to officially qualify for the November ballot, Gov. Jerry Brown and his allies are already on a defensive campaign to save the unpopular fee hike – and vulnerable lawmakers who voted for it.
USC Dornsife
The 2017 law to increase the gas tax and vehicle registration fee is more popular among Californians than President Donald Trump, but about half of registered voters would repeal it if given the chance.
How the Census Affects State Finances
Public Policy Institute of California
A number of federal programs rely on census data to calculate the share of federal dollars distributed to each state. In the case of California, the census-connected funds are big money.
TRANSPORTATION
Voters like high-speed rail, if they don't have to pay for it
Los Angeles Times
A new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll of 835 voters found that respondents were pretty equally divided over the high-speed rail line, with 48% expressing at least some support and 43% opposed. Looking that those numbers alone, you might think the public’s ardor for the project hadn’t dimmed all that much; voters approved a ballot measure authorizing the project in 2008 by a margin of only 53% to 47%.
EPA used disavowed research to justify putting dirtier trucks on the road
Los Angeles Times
Air regulators loathe the proposal to allow thousands more of the trucks on the roads. Most of the trucking industry feels the same. Even the White House budget office and several conservative allies of the administration are balking.ee also
See also
● EDITORIAL: A loophole for dirty diesel trucks: Yet another attack on science by Trump’s EPA Los Angeles Times
WATER
Public Policy Institute of California
Where would California be without the ability to store water? We talked to Jay Lund―an adjunct fellow at the PPIC Water Policy Center and director of the Center for Watershed Sciencesat UC Davis—about the often contentious and always complex topic of water storage.
“Xtra”
Going camping this summer? You can't tell the forest from the logs and stumps
Fresno Bee
Planning on camping and picnicking in the mountains this summer? You may not be able to see the forest for the logs.
On the Road: Bike touring on the American River Bike Trail and your own hometown
Stockton Record
Summer fast approaches and what better way to be active, get fit and explore nearby California gems? Dust off those bicycles, check them for roadworthiness and get pedaling to nearby nifty destinations.
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