I guess now the Colonies Four are accusing Judge Smith’s clerk of being a liar and a record falsifier

A couple of weeks ago we learned that the latest strategy of the Colonies Four defense team was to call into question the integrity of Judge Michael Smith and former assistant district attorney Jim Hackelman.  Now we learn that his clerk’s minute order is wrong and does not reflect what happened in the courtroom last week.  Apparently, the reporters who were in the courtroom are working in concert with her to defraud and mislead.

In the five years before that, the defense team used the other blog to accuse District Attorney Mike Ramos of being a drunk, a womanizer, incompetent, and a long list of other things.  They have filed a complaint against him with the State Bar in an attempt to get his bar card pulled.  They considered trying to set him up with a prostitute and getting it on tape to blackmail him.

They have attacked and defamed one or more FBI agents and gone so far as to claim there could be criminal action against one agent and that his promotion was actually disciplinary action.

They have suggested that all of the district attorney investigators have lied under oath and that some could be subject to criminal and civil actions.  They have referred to the deputy attorney general as a “dyke” and “boneable.”

They have threatened most, if not all, prosecution witnesses in one way or another, calling them derogatory and sometimes sexist or racist names.  They have threatened them with ruining their reputations and careers.

They have threatened the various members of the prosecution team with State Bar complaints and having their bar cards revoked.  They have also threatened them with levies upon their homes and retirement accounts.

They have threatened former judges who heard the case with complaints.  They have ridiculed members of the media in hopes of swaying articles written about the case.

They helped a tabloid owner become adjudicated in exchange for stories that promote most of the above.

They hired a private detective to hack a key witness’ cell phone.  They hired private detectives to follow and harass a variety of witnesses.

Keeping all of these threats and actions against everyone in this case in mind, does anyone think it is too far fetched to believe these thugs tried to blackmail two county supervisors over their lifestyle in order to get a majority vote in the approval of a $102 million settlement?  I didn’t think so.

Do you believe in angels?

A couple of days ago I shared this on my Facebook wall:

Do You Believe Angels Exist?

Of the 38 friends who responded, 37 said yes and one said no. Some have had personal experiences that leave no doubt in their mind in the existence of angels. I am one of those.

If you are a personal friend, you have probably heard this story, probably more than once.  I think I might have written about it here on the blog in the past as well.  It’s Christmas and that makes it a good time to tell my angel story once again.

It was approximately 2005.  My new truck had a recall notice.  I dropped it off at the dealer and had a rental car.

We had a few hours to kill so my mom and I decided to go to Olive Garden for lunch.  If you are familiar with the area, it was the Olive Garden in Victorville on the east side of the Mall of Victor Valley.

We arrived just as Olive Garden was opening so the parking lot was empty.  I was able to park in the spot that faces Amargosa right next to the restaurant.  I believe that all that was between us and the sidewalk was a handicapped spot or take out spot.

The parking spots on that side of the lot are on an incline or actually a decline technically I guess.  If you pull in head first, the backend of your vehicle will be higher than the front end.

After having lunch, we returned to the car.  It was a loaded, fully automatic small car.  I don’t remember the make now.

I put the car in reverse, let the emergency brake up, and started to back up.  The car would not move.  I gave it a little more gas and the car still would not move.  I remember looking in my mirrors and seeing nothing out of the ordinary.  I kept trying to gas it but the car would not move.  I put it back in park and then in reverse again and tried again.  Still nothing.  I checked the e-brake again and it was disengaged as it was supposed to be.

At that point I did not know what to do as the car would not move.  I finally put it into park, turned off the ignition, and got out to check the tires or see if there was anything I could not see while sitting inside.

As I got to the back bumper, there she was.  Leaning against the back bumper was a toddler, probably about two years old.  About the same time I saw her, her father from across the parking lot saw her and screamed at her.  I think my heart stopped for a moment.

Her father retrieved her, and I got back into my car and collected myself.  I turned on the ignition, put the car into reverse and backed up with no problem.

I think of that day often.  I’m not sure which one of us had the guardian angel as the result could have been tragic for many.  Sometimes my faith wanes in other areas, but I will never not believe in angels.

PRELIMINARY HEARING

The prosecution begins a felony case by filing a grand jury indictment or by filing a complaint with a magistrate. If a complaint is filed, a preliminary hearing must be held before a magistrate to ensure there is sufficient evidence to hold a defendant to answer for the charges against him in the trial court. When an indictment is filed, there is no right to a preliminary hearing. At the preliminary hearing, the prosecution must present sufficient evidence to convince the magistrate that probable cause exists to believe that a crime has been committed by the defendant. If the prosecution makes this showing, the magistrate will hold the defendant to answer to the charge in the trial court. The prosecution must then file an information in that court within 15 days. Once the magistrate makes a holding order, the magistrate’s power ceases and jurisdiction vests in the trial court to deal with the charges in the case. Because the vast majority of felony cases settle before trial, the preliminary hearing may be the sole proceeding at which evidence is taken. The preliminary hearing gives the defense a key opportunity to show the prosecutor why a particular settlement is justified, and to show the magistrate why the case should be discharged or reduced. It also provides one of the few opportunities to reduce a wobbler and to eliminate enhancements. The defense may cross-examine witnesses for purposes of raising an affirmative defense, negating an element of the offense, or impeaching a witness. If the defendant does not have an adequate opportunity to cross-examine the witness, the preliminary examination testimony may not be admissible. The defense may also bring a motion to suppress at a preliminary hearing, provided there is sufficient notice. The defense may also request that the magistrate make factual findings which may result in the discharge of some or all charges. When the felony charged in the complaint could have been charged as a misdemeanor, he judge may reduce the charge to a misdemeanor.

Source: CEB: California Criminal Law Procedure & Practice

Los Angeles Times: Obama will travel to San Bernardino to mourn victims of massacre

President Obama speaks on Islamic State in the Pentagon briefing room on Dec. 14. (Olivier Douliery / Getty Images)

Michael A. Memoli
December 16, 2015

President Obama will travel to San Bernardino on Friday to join in mourning the 14 victims of the Dec. 2 mass shooting that he has called an act of terrorism, the White House said Wednesday.

Obama’s visit to Southern California was added to his previously scheduled trip to Hawaii, where he and the first family will celebrate Christmas, as has been their tradition during his presidency.

During his San Bernardino stop, Obama will visit privately with families of victims, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said. Further details of the president’s visit were not disclosed. White House officials have previously said that any presidential visit — like others to communities affected by mass shootings — would take local memorial plans into account.

Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik opened fire two weeks ago at a holiday party at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, killing 14 and wounding 22 in the deadliest terrorist attack in the U.S. since 9/11. Farook and Malik, who were married, were killed in a gun battle with police hours later.

The subsequent investigation has revealed that Farook, a U.S. citizen, and Malik, who entered the U.S. on a so-called fiancee visa, had been plotting an attack for months. Both pledged allegiance to Islamic State.

To read expanded article, click here.

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InlandPolitics: Trump widens lead in latest national poll

Wednesday, December 2, 2015 – 08:30 a.m.

Billionaire Businessman Donald Trump has widened his lead in the race for the republican nomination for President of the United States.

The latest numbers come with just sixty days until the Iowa Caucuses.

The poll’s analysis has bad news for Retired Pediatric Neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who one month ago was essentially tied with Trump.

Carson now sits at number three in the nationwide poll, with 16-percent. That’s down 7-percentage points from a month ago.

The only candidates to place at 5-percent or higher are Trump, Carson, Florida U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. All other contenders are currently bottom-feeding for a small fraction for votes in the hope of re-igniting their respective campaigns, which at this point in the race is bleak.

To read the news release by respected Quinnipiac University, click here.

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Visit the ghosts of Christmas past as Calico kicks off its holiday season

Calico Ghost Town kicks off the Christmas season tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015, with carolers, cocoa, the official Calico tree lighting, and more.  It’s Christmas from a bygone era where visitors can shop without the crowds in a peaceful setting, enjoy some music and games, and have a relaxing day with the family.  The shops open at 9 a.m. and the Holiday Craft Corner opens at 10 a.m.

Santa and Ms. Claus will be on hand to welcome guests.  You can visit them at the Town Hall or catch them for a quick pic as they wander around the ghost town.

Native American dancers will be performing twice during the day at the Livery Stage.  The performance is both entertaining and educational as the narrator explains the history behind the various dances performed.  Children, in particular, are always enthralled by the beat of the drum and the dancers in full regalia.

To read the entire article, click here.

Los Angeles Times: Pass rate for summer California bar exam hits historic low: under 47%

Jason Song
December 25, 2015

For the second year in a row, the percentage of people who successfully took the summer California bar exam fell to a historic low, with less than 47% passing, according to state statistics. Last year, only 48.6% of those who took the exam made the grade, the first time the passage rate dipped below half in nearly a decade.

California’s decrease is small compared with other states’.

Oklahoma’s bar passage rate fell by 11 points to 68%, and New Mexico’s decreased by 12 percentage points to 72%. The bar is offered twice a year, but traditionally more people take the summer exam.

In California, nearly 8,300 law school alums took this year’s July exam; about 4,700 took the February test.

Several experts said that California makes it harder to pass the bar exam than other states.

The downturn comes as law schools have been struggling to attract students. One recent study found that more campuses have been accepting incoming classes with larger numbers of students with poor LSAT scores. Eight out of California’s 21 nationally accredited law schools recently admitted classes that have a “high,” “very high” or “extreme” number of prospective attorneys who have a poor chance of passing the bar based on their LSAT scores, according to the study by Law School Transparency, an advocacy group.

LSAT scores are a key predictor of bar performance, according to research, although some school administrators say performance on the 180-point standardized test isn’t a sign of future success.

At the same time, many alumni are unable to find jobs in the legal profession after graduation, administrators say. As a result, some schools, including Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and UC Hastings have cut class size to try to maintain quality.

To read expanded article, click here.

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The Hill: Obstacles imperil budget deal

By Alexander Bolton – 11/25/15 06:01 AM EST

Congressional leaders face several hurdles to getting a budget deal done by the Dec. 11 deadline, including a fight over health funding that is holding up the omnibus spending package.

There’s also a battle brewing over dozens of policy riders aimed at Wall Street and environmental regulations that Republicans insist should be included in the legislation but Democrats warn could lead to a government shutdown.

Some Republicans also want to add language blocking President Obama’s refugee resettlement program, which would be a non-starter with Democrats, but GOP leaders are reluctant at this point to pursue that path.

Democratic leaders have highlighted the riders as the biggest threat to a year-end spending deal, though discussion of them was postponed until the Thanksgiving recess because of a dispute over funding.

“All riders will be dealt with when we complete a good part of the money bills. We aren’t quite settled on a lot of things yet,” Sen. Barbara Mikulski (Md.), the senior Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, said before the break. “There are still issues related to money.”

The biggest funding holdup relates to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Both sides agree the research institute should get a funding boost, but they are at odds over how to pay for it.

Republicans want to take the money out of other programs, such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Corporation for National and Community Service, which face funding cuts of 20 percent or more. Republicans also want to cut the National Labor Relations Board and preschool development programs.

Mikulski and Democrats argue the boost for NIH should come from the additional budget cap space created by a bipartisan deal struck between President Obama and GOP leaders last month.

“We all would like to raise money for NIH, but the question is do we add more money from what we got out of the budget agreement or do we continue to take money from other programs,” Mikulski said. “We believe you shouldn’t shortchange other programs.”

Negotiators also must hash out how much of the extra money provided by the budget deal should go to the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks.

To read expanded article, click here.

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InlandPolitics: San Bernardino can’t get out of its own way again!

Monday, November 23, 2015 – 08:30 a.m.

It sure appears as if San Bernardino still can’t get out of its own way.

As if the city’s beleaguered residents having to endure the stigma of a never-ending bankruptcy proceeding isn’t bad enough.

The latest development? The city will now part ways with three-year City Manager Allen J. Parker.

Yep! Another city manager bites the dust again.

To date, San Bernardino, has spent an inordinately long period of time in Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy proceedings. One can only imagine that Meredith Jury, the U.S. Bankruptcy Judge overseeing the case, isn’t too thrilled over this latest development.

What makes it even more pathetic is the Parker’s departure is purely politically-driven.

Even though the currently comprised city government composition has been less politically-bloodthirsty that prior regime’s, the trait would appear to be inherent. It’s no secret that there remains much behind-the-scenes gamesmanship taking place.

If the odds for city’s of having its eternal bankruptcy petition dismissed weren’t high already, they just moved higher.

The only recent positive development occurred last week when the city finally outsourced its refuse collection services. A revenue-generating move that should have happened long ago.

The city council, in addition to ineptly showing Parker the door,  graciously agreed to give him a one-year severance package.

Whatever the reasons for forcing Parker out, it’s not a favorable situation for all involved.

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The Sacramento Bee: Dan Walters: Wrangling over new state taxes

By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
November 22, 2015

• California continues to see strong revenue gains
• Jerry Brown wants to build rainy-day reserves
• Other Democrats have spending plans in mind

As the Great Recession gripped California, state revenues plummeted by 20 percent and Capitol politicians and major stakeholders battled over which programs would take the hits.

During this decade, however, a slow recovery from recession and a temporary hike in taxes approved by voters in 2012 have boosted general fund revenues from scarcely $80 billion when Jerry Brown began his second governorship in 2011 to an estimated $116 billion today.

The politics of penury were succeeded by the politics of prosperity, and in many respects they proved to be equally daunting.

At Brown’s insistence – and constitutional mandates – the bulk of the new money flowed to K-12 schools, to paying down debts and to reserves against a future downturn.

Advocates of other major budget sectors, especially health and welfare services for the poor, the elderly and the disabled, felt left out.

In the absence of another major economic turndown – which history indicates may be overdue – the flow of taxes will continue to be strong, a new report from the Legislature’s budget analyst concludes.

Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor sees revenues running about $3 billion above estimates during the current fiscal year to reach $116.3 billion, and rising to $123 billion in 2016-17 and $131.3 billion by Brown’s final budget, 2018-19. And that’s assuming that voters don’t extend the temporary taxes, an issue likely to be on the 2016 ballot.

The Capitol’s politicians already are beginning to wrangle over how the additional money will be spent.

To read expanded column, click here.

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Mouse had a house but he needs a home

Mouse has found himself in quite the predicament.   He is currently a resident of the Riverside County Animal Shelter, and he is none too happy about it.

This black and white cutie has not had many breaks in his short life.  He is only 16 months old, but thanks to an irresponsible owner, he has been declared a “Dangerous Animal” by a hearing officer.

Mouse has not bitten anyone.  His previous owner allowed him to run loose, where like many dogs, he managed to find trouble.  Even after his former human was ordered to keep him secure, he was allowed to run the streets day after day.  On his last day of freedom, he chased a bicyclist.

To read the entire article, click here.

CIF-SS cross country finals: times for locals

The CIF-SS cross country Finals at Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College. Top 7 teams plus up to 5 individuals advance to CIF State Championships. Here are race times with San Bernardino County teams entered: Race 1: Division 3 girls, … Continue reading →

The Sun: The hidden costs of wind, solar power: Guest commentary

Wind turbines. (Getty Images)

By Neil Derry
Posted: 11/13/15 – 1:25 PM PST |

The state of California has embarked on a 25-year green power odyssey in an effort to reduce the amount of carbon we place into the atmosphere, all aimed at leading the world in an anti-climate change crusade for humanity.

Beginning in 2030, 50 percent of all electrical power produced for our regulated utilities will be mandated “renewable” energy. This definition under the current law includes energy from solar, wind and small hydroelectric facilities built, or to be built, over that time frame. It excludes residential solar installations and existing large hydroelectric projects such as energy produced from Hoover Dam.

While some of this new power will be “infill” development (smaller solar projects that may be placed in vacant or brown-field urban areas), most of it will be new development in areas of the state where sunshine and wind are most plentiful, our more remote inland desert regions including much of the Inland Empire.

The current mandate of 20 percent renewable energy scheduled to be met by 2020 (since changed to 33 percent) has almost been met, but it has come at a high price for consumers, an increase in electrical rates of 35 percent. California now has rates 40 percent higher than the national average.

There are a number of factors involved in the high cost of this renewable energy. The easiest factor for the public to understand is that since these projects are largely built in remote areas away from population centers, they require new transmission infrastructure to deliver the power to consumers. This new infrastructure is funded through increased electrical rates.

But there are other factors which most consumers are not aware of. While costs for solar and wind projects have decreased over the last decade thanks in part to heavy taxpayer subsidies, their costs remain significantly higher than traditional natural gas or coal-fired power plants. Sunshine and wind are free, but the technology needed to collect that energy is very expensive. It requires significantly more property to build, and whether that property is purchased or leased, land is not cheap in California.

To read expanded column, click here.

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The Sacramento Bee: Dan Walters: California again plays the game of ballot measures

By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
November 10, 2015

• 100-plus ballot measures filed for 2016
• Far fewer will make the ballot
• Closed-door games decide which ones advance

More than a hundred potential measures have been filed with the attorney general’s office for the 2016 ballot.

Four have already qualified, but others float in the ether, some waiting for official titles from the attorney general, others cleared for signature gathering, and one awaiting signature verification.

It’s likely that 12 to 20 will actually face the judgment of voters a year hence after tens of millions of dollars have been spent for and against them.

This stage of the ballot game is played behind closed doors. Those who have submitted multiple measures must decide which, if any, they will actually pursue, and sponsors of competing measures decide whether to go to war or compromise.

One of the game’s tricks is the “poison pill” – a measure that is not necessarily intended to appear on the ballot, but aimed at persuading others to alter their intentions.

A couple of current examples:

Earlier this year, the Legislature passed a ban on disposable plastic bags that grocers and other retailers use. It was a hard-fought political battle, pitting the plastic bag makers against environmentalists and, ultimately, the grocery industry.

Among other things, the bill included a 10-cent fee that the grocers could charge customers for an acceptable bag.

Bag makers launched a referendum to overturn the ban, and it’s already qualified for the ballot. But they also filed another measure, called the Environmental Fee Protection Act, that would, if approved by voters, require the millions of bag fee dollars to be spent on environmental programs, rather than retained by the grocers.

It’s a warning to grocers not to spend big money to fight the repeal referendum, it could split the grocer-environmental alliance, and it might create enough confusion among voters to make the referendum a winner.

To read expanded column, click here.

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Daily Bulletin: Final approval of ‘local control’ for Ontario airport could come by December

United Airlines jet lands Monday November 9, 2015 at LA/ONT International Airport. (Will Lester — Staff Photographer)

By Liset Marquez, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Posted: 11/09/15 – 10:12 AM PST |

RIVERSIDE >> A deal could be finalized as early as next month to transfer control of LA/Ontario International Airport to a local authority.

Attorneys for Los Angeles and Ontario were present at Riverside Superior Court Monday morning to provide an update on the deal that would hand over control to the Ontario International Airport Authority. The deal is expected to go to a Los Angeles City Council subcommittee in the first week of December and then to the council by the middle of the month, according to L.A.’s attorney.

Judge Gary Tranbarger initially suggested that both cities report back in three months on the status of the deal.

Andre Cronthall, Ontario’s attorney, pushed for an earlier date.

“We want to keep this moving on track quickly,” he told the judge. “If action hasn’t been taken by early December, then we want to see you quickly thereafter.”

Ontario officials hope to submit the application for the certificate to operate the airport to the Federal Aviation Administration by January. The FAA approval process is expected to take four months, and control of the airport is expected to be turned over to the OIAA by July 1.

Despite Cronthall’s request to be back in court by Dec. 18 for a status update, Tranbarger felt a court date after the holidays would be better.

To read expanded article, click here.

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The Sacramento Bee: Dan Walters: Democrats are seeing more schisms

Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, faulted by some for not controlling her moderate faction, is being forced out of her seat by term limits but doesn’t want to retire, so she is challenging Sen. Marty Block’s bid for a second term in San Diego. (Rich Pedroncelli The Associated Press)

By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
November 8, 2015

• Dominant parties split into factions
• More Democrat vs. Democrat duels coming
• Legislative leaders will face big test

Thirty-six years after it erupted, Capitol old-timers still marvel at the ferocity of a historic Democrat-vs.-Democrat battle for the Assembly speakership.

In December 1979, Assemblyman Howard Berman, citing support from a majority of Democratic members and with tacit help from a young Gov. Jerry Brown, demanded that Speaker Leo McCarthy step down.

McCarthy refused and for nearly a year the two factions tried to unseat each other’s supporters in battles marked by dirty political tricks, personal invective, immense spending – and at least one death threat.

Although Berman claimed more than half of Assembly Democrats after the November 1980 election, the McCarthyites forged a deal with Republicans to elect Willie Brown as speaker – a post he was to hold for a record 14 years.

The fight demonstrated that when one political party dominates, as Democrats did then and do now, it often fragments into sub-factions or quasi-parties rooted in fine shadings of ideology, conflicting ambitions and/or personal loyalties.

At the local level, one sees the same fragmentation in heavily Democratic San Francisco and Los Angeles, or in strongly Republican Orange and Placer counties. Nature abhors a vacuum and the void of two-party competition is filled with factional feuds.

We saw such a division in the state Assembly this year, when a band of moderate Democrats balked at the Legislature’s liberal leadership and forced it to abandon or severely alter major legislation, such as Gov. Jerry Brown’s ambitious carbon emissions bill.

To read expanded column, click here.

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The Press-Enterprise: REGION: Three new cities to see debt erased

But a fourth, Eastvale, won’t get any relief from what it owes the county.

Published: Oct. 29, 2015 – 4:10 p.m.

Riverside County’s four newest cities have been told that a one-time, $23.7 million, infusion of state money will wipe out debts that Menifee, Wildomar and Jurupa Valley owe to the county.

To read article by Sandra Stokley in The Press-Enterprise, click here.

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Looking for tips and information

There is a new rumor floating around the rescue community about the San Bernardino County Public Health Department’s division of Animal Care and Control.  The rumor is that the Attorney General’s office is looking at the Devore Shelter and at Brian Cronin in particular.

The basis of this alleged investigation is the misuse of the drugs used to euthanize animals in their care.  I can tell you that rumors about such abuses have surrounded Cronin for decades including his time at Humane Society of San Bernardino Valley.

I can also tell you I know of one instance where a San Bernardino County Animal Control employee took euth drugs from the county to euthanize a friend’s dogs in that friend’s vehicle because the friend did not want to spend the money at the vet to have them put down.  He was not a resident of the county nor of any of the contract cities.

Euth drugs are highly regulated controlled substances.  Misuse is a federal felony, I believe.  There are too many stories out there for too many years for there not to be something there.  I’ve heard additional information, but am not going to share that at this point.

If anyone has any tips or inside information, please use the contact form on the menu above.  You can make up a name and email address to remain anonymous.

Finally, here is a link to a blog about the Humane Society you might find interesting.  Several entries down is a story from the Press Enterprise they have long since taken off of their site.

The Sacramento Bee: Dan Walters: Half-a-loaf solutions fall short

By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
October 25, 2015

• California has many pending issues
• Comprehensive approaches difficult
• Politicians settle for patchwork

Were the El Niño phenomenon to actually generate copious rainstorms in California, it could create a dilemma for homeowners with elderly roofs – patch the leaks or spend big bucks for a new roof.

California politics present similar choices.

The state’s extraordinarily complex socioeconomic matrix makes gathering support for any major policy decision extraordinarily difficult. Our politicians’ tendency, therefore, is to temporarily patch problems as they arise and then move on.

We’ve seen lots of patchwork politics in recent years.

Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democrat Gov. Jerry Brown have taken swipes at such issues as unbalanced state budgets, infrastructure deterioration, public pension deficits, transportation congestion, water supply and K-12 education, settling for what an unfocused, pettifogging Legislature would accept rather than going all out to truly fix the problems.

Are such “solutions” really better than doing nothing at all? Yes, sometimes. But they also carry downside risks that have become increasingly evident.

One is that they often just don’t work and merely postpone the day of reckoning.

Severe drought struck the state four decades ago. Since then, California has spent untold billions of dollars on supposedly addressing its severe imbalance between water supply and demand. But we never really did anything concrete, leaving us extremely vulnerable when severe drought struck again.

Another downside is that procrastinating fixes provides politicians with excuses. They can – and often do – check it off their to-do lists, telling the voting and taxpaying public that they’ve done their duty diligently, but knowing very well that they’ve merely, in a phrase often used by Schwarzenegger, kicked the can down the road to their successors.

To read expanded column, click here.

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InlandPolitics: San Bernardino County HR Director convicted of solicitation

Friday, October 23, 2015 – 10:00 a.m.

It appears San Bernardino County government, which has a penchant for sweeping dirty laundry under the rug, has been busy protecting its Human Resources Director.

After being outed on a local blog, InlandPolitics.com has confirmed that Human Resources Director Andrew L. Lamberto was arrested on March 27, 2015, for violation of Penal Code section 647(b), “Engage and agree to engage in prostitution”.

On September 2, 2015, the Orange County District Attorney included Lamberto on a press release, which listed 4 other men with similar convictions. Interestingly, Lamberto’s mug shot was not included on the DA’s public website.

Click here to read the press release.

Court records indicate Lamberto received 10 days jail suspended, 10 days community service in lieu of jail, 3 years informal probation, AIDS prevention Education Program and HIV Testing.

To read the Orange County Superior Court Case Docket, click the following link: Orange County Superior Court Docket – Case Number 15HM05336 – Lamberto Andrew L

Lamberto’s physical description is listed on the court docket.

It’ll be interesting to see if there’s any fallout from this, or if any local media picks up the story.

Since the incident occurred in March, it’s likely Lamberto already disclosed the arrest to Chief Executive Greg Devereaux, and no punitive action was taken.

Here’s Lamberto’s profile on peekyou.com:

Andrew L. Lamberto 51 yrs, pyrtfan

Mission Viejo, CA

• sports
• casino
• goodfellas
• the outdoors

Andrew L Lamberto is 51 years old. He lives in Mission Viejo, California, but has also spent time in Gainesville, Georgia and Trabuco Canyon, California. Goodfellas is his favorite movie. On the web, Andrew goes by the alias pyrtfan.

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Week 8 high school football predictions

You would think picking games would get easier as we know more about the teams, right? Well, last week was a terrible week for me for whatever reason, going 17-7. That brings my season record to 197-57, and I’ve correctly … Continue reading →

60% of WI disapproves of Walker’s job performance in WPR/St. Norbert poll

This comes from a poll with a small sample: 603. Notables: 57 percent of those polled say that Wisconsin is headed in the wrong direction. Russ Feingold leads against Ron Johnson.  51 percent to 40 percent. 60 percent of Wisconsinites disapprove of the way Scott Walker is doing his job. In fact, 40% of Wisconsinites more »

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InlandPolitics: Biden will not run

Wednesday, October 21, 2015 – 09:20 a.m.

Vice President Joe Biden has announced he will not seek the democratic nomination for President of the United States.

The announcement paves the way for whomever the GOP nominee is to face Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Clinton is by far the more attractive candidate for the republicans to confront.

The post InlandPolitics: Biden will not run appeared first on InlandPolitics.com.

Los Angeles Times: Gov. Brown’s link between climate change and wildfires is unsupported, fire experts say

Gov. Jerry Brown, center, surrounded by firefighters and first responders, speaks at a news conference at Cowboy Camp Trailhead during the Rocky fire in August. (Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)

Paige St. John
October 18, 2015

The ash of the Rocky fire was still hot when Gov. Jerry Brown strode to a bank of television cameras beside a blackened ridge and, flanked by firefighters, delivered a battle cry against climate change.

The wilderness fire was “a real wake-up call” to reduce the carbon pollution “that is in many respects driving all of this,” he said.

“The fires are changing…. The way this fire performed, it’s not the way it usually has been. Going in lots of directions, moving fast, even without hot winds.”

“It’s a new normal,” he said in August. “California is burning.”

Brown had political reasons for his declaration.

He had just challenged Republican presidential candidates to state their agendas on global warming. He was embroiled in a fight with the oil industry over legislation to slash gasoline use in California. And he is seeking to make a mark on international negotiations on climate change that culminate in Paris in December.

But scientists who study climate change and fire behavior say their work does not show a link between this year’s wildfires and global warming, or support Brown’s assertion that fires are now unpredictable and unprecedented. There is not enough evidence, they say.

University of Colorado climate change specialist Roger Pielke said Brown is engaging in “noble-cause corruption.”

Pielke said it is easier to make a political case for change using immediate and local threats, rather than those on a global scale, especially given the subtleties of climate change research, which features probabilities subject to wide margins of error and contradiction by other findings.

“That is the nature of politics,” Pielke said, “but sometimes the science really has to matter.”

Other experts say there is, in fact, a more immediate threat: a landscape altered by a century of fire suppression, timber cutting and development.

To read expanded article, click here.

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The Sun: Overdue San Bernardino audits expected Wednesday

By Ryan Hagen, The Sun
Posted: 10/20/15 – 5:00 PM PDT |

SAN BERNARDINO >> After more than a year of delays and suspicion, an audit of the city’s 2012-13 financial statements should be finished Wednesday and presented to the City Council and public Nov. 2, according to city staffers and the audit firm.

That could answer the question many citizens, including candidates for City Council and treasurer, have lobbed at the city with increasing frequency: Exactly where did money go in the year after the 2012 bankruptcy filing, and how reliable are claims about the spending?

“In meeting with the city’s auditor, MGO, they have committed to us that they will have the fiscal year 2012-13 financial audit, including the independent auditor’s report on the assurance of whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement and whether they can be relied upon by the readers of those financial statements,” Deputy City Manager Nita McKay said Monday.

The also-overdue audit of fiscal year 2013-14 could be completed after that.

McKay said she would give a more detailed report Nov. 2.

And she said Wednesday also would be the likely completion date for a separate audit: the so-called single audit that, because of its absence, has led state officials to withhold $125,000 a month in reimbursements for the San Bernardino Employment and Training Agency since October 2014, which city officials hope to recoup once that audit is available.

Auditor Jim Godsey, of Macias, Gini and O’Connell LLP, was much less confident the single audit would be done this week, but he said the financial statement audit likely will be completed by Wednesday.

To read expanded article, click here.

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How AP and the WI press does damage control for Governor Drunken Sailor

Yet again I get the impression that Associated Press does whatever it can to protect and/or repair Scott Walker’s image.   Compare the headlines and stories on Walker’s recent FEC filing: From Washington Post (author – Jenna Johnson): How Scott Walker spent $90,000 a day to lose an election   From U.S. News and World Report more »

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Everybody didn’t have access to the Democratic Party debate

The editor of Buzzflash at Truthout recently wrote that, “By offering the debates on television only to paid subscribers of television packages that included CNN and Fox News, the most important political interaction between candidates for president of the United States was, essentially, privatized.” If you’re living with a net-enabled digital device seemingly glued to your more »

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Daily Bulletin: L.A. County Supervisors choose new CEO

By Sarah Favot, Los Angeles Daily News
Posted: 10/06/15 – 8:12 PM PDT |

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously named Sachi Hamai as the county’s chief executive officer.

The board will begin negotiating a contract with Hamai and expects to formally appoint her and approve her salary at its meeting next Tuesday, Supervisor Michael Antonovich said.

Hamai had been in the position on an interim basis since December. The board emerged from a closed-door meeting late in the evening and made the announcement.

“Sachi has been an outstanding county leader throughout her career and has excelled as our interim CEO, rapidly responding to reforms critically needed inside the county and tackling reforms in service to improving the quality of life for our county residents,” Antonovich said in a statement.

Supervisor Sheila Kuehl said in an interview the board commissioned a detailed evaluation, conducted by an outside evaluator, of Hamai’s job performance in her interim role.

“Everyone is very happy with her,” Kuehl said.

To read expanded article, click here.

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Al Jazeera America feature on Madison, Wisconsin homelessness

A friend of mine had shared this story on facebook and I idly clicked it not knowing what I was in for. I saw the string of cars and vans along a curved street and thought, “Hey. That looks sorta like that area by Milwaukee Street.” Oh. That *IS* that area by Milwaukee Street. The more »

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Al Jazeera America feature on Madison, Wisconsin homelessness

A friend of mine had shared this story on facebook and I idly clicked it not knowing what I was in for. I saw the string of cars and vans along a curved street and thought, “Hey. That looks sorta like that area by Milwaukee Street.” Oh. That *IS* that area by Milwaukee Street. The more »

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Cajon’s Kayla Washington commits to Washington St.

Cajon’s Kayla Washington Cajon High senior basketball player Kayla Washington wanted to make her verbal commitment before the season began, but she was waiting for what she felt was the right offer. On Sunday, she got it. And on Monday … Continue reading →

Friday night Football updates

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Roundup: Yucaipa volleyball shutout Cajon

Volleyball YUCAIPA 3, CAJON 0 >> Janell Walley had 11 kills with 26 assists and three aces for the Thunderbirds (12-2, 3-0) in the Citrus Belt League game against the Cowgirls, 25-13, 25-13, 25-12. Marissa Holt had nine kills while McKenna … Continue reading →

Wisconsin week in review

Here’s a quickie rundown and review of recent Wisconsin political stories. WONDER BOY FAILS WONDERFULLY On Monday at 5PM Walker dropped out of the race. Well, technically he “suspended his campaign”. This LA Times cartoon sums it up for us. And this cartoon by Phil Hands sums up the average Wisconsinite’s response: Tomorrow's @WiStateJournal cartoon more »

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Scott Walker plans a not so “unintimidated” public appearance in Beaver Dam today

Update: I have confirmation from Madison radio journalist Michael Crute that Scott Walker will be at the site at Noon today. I had this information 1 hour and 45 minutes in advance of the so-called “public event”. Site: Apache Stainless, 200 Industrial Dr, Beaver Dam, WI Google Map Street view Just to record what goes more »

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Video: “Walker’s critics celebrate, supporters reminisce …”

Despite having no more than a few hours notice of the 5PM press conference announcing Walker’s drop out from the presidential campaign, protesting Wisconsinites were ready, able, and willing to serenade Wisconsin’s delusional governor. This TMJ4 footage includes just a SNIPPET of protest singing. This brief broadcast also includes snippets from Wisconsinites who do not more »

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Gawker seeks details on “a very bad story” connected with Scott Walker

It seems that both Republican communications operative Liz Mair and a writer with Buzzfeed are hinting about either the same scandalous story or differing stories that is/are related to Scott Walker – but neither is releasing the details to the public. Frustrating. Gawker is asking readers to help spill the beans completely. Gawker is providing more »

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Scott Walker dropping out of campaign, 5PM Central Time, Edgewater Hotel, Madison

Wow. I expected him to hang in another month and a half! News Conference: 5PM Central Time Edgewater Hotel Madison, Wisconsin More details here. You just finished reading Scott Walker dropping out of campaign, 5PM Central Time, Edgewater Hotel, Madison! Consider leaving a comment!Visit bluecheddar.net for more news and opinion. You can contact blue cheddar more »

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The Los Angeles Times: California posts solid jobs growth; unemployment rate falls to 6.1%

By Shan Li
September 18, 2015

California’s employers kept up their hiring run in August, adding 36,200 nonfarm payroll jobs and pushing down the unemployment rate to 6.1%.

That’s a slight drop from July’s jobless rate of 6.2%, and the lowest level since January 2008, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nationwide, the jobless rate slid to 5.1% in August, down from 5.3% the month before.

“California scored another impressive gain in jobs,” said Lynn Reaser, an economist at Point Loma Nazarene University. “Despite various head winds, especially those caused by the slowdown in China and emerging markets, California’s economy continues to show solid momentum.”

California added more jobs than any other state, including Florida, which came in second with a gain of 19,600 positions.

Since August 2014, California has gained 470,000 jobs, a 3% annual growth rate that has outpaced the national average of 2.1%. A year ago, the state unemployment rate was 7.4%.

The increase in jobs last month came after a robust showing in June, although that figure was revised down slightly to 80,500.

Gains were spread across several sectors. Government jobs showed the biggest month-over-month increase, with 31,300 added in August. Much of that is the result of an early start to the academic year at many public schools, economists said.
See the most-read stories this hour >>

The leisure and hospitality sector reported 10,600 net new jobs, and the trade, transportation and utilities sector added 7,900 positions. The information sector, which includes the entertainment industry and parts of the tech industry tied to Silicon Valley, added 1,000 jobs. Education and health services gained 3,800 positions.

The construction industry, which reported only 700 more jobs, has seen the biggest growth over the last year. Compared with August 2014, the sector is up 6.5% with 43,800 additional jobs.

To read expanded article, click here.

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NBC: Carly Fiorina Won GOP Debate, but Trump Still Leads: NBC Online Survey

By John Lapinski and Allison Kopicki
September 20, 2015

More than a third of Republican voters say that Carly Fiorina performed best in the Wednesday night debate on CNN. But debate performances don’t translate into vote preference overnight, and Donald Trump maintains his position at the top of the Republican pack, according to the latest NBC News online survey conducted by SurveyMonkey from Wednesday through Friday.

The Debate

When the candidates’ negative performance percentages are subtracted from their positive percentages, Fiorina emerges the clear winner, with a positive 34, whereas Trump nets a positive 2 among Republican voters who watched or followed the debate coverage. Marco Rubio and Ben Carson also received positive reviews from Republican voters who followed the debate, with net scores of 8 and 5. Rand Paul fared poorly, scoring a negative 13.
Dann, Caroline (206104031)

Republican debate watchers were divided over who appeared most presidential during the debate. Despite a tepid score for his overall debate performance, 17% of Republican voters said that Trump was the most presidential — but that wasn’t significantly different than Carly Fiorina or Jeb Bush (14%) or Ben Carson (13%). Marco Rubio was the only other candidate to get a double-digit score on appearing presidential, with 11%.

The Primary

Debates alone rarely move poll numbers in big ways, and Trump continues to lead the crowded field with 29 percent of Republican and independent voters who lean Republican saying they would cast their vote for him. Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina remain on an upward trajectory, now filling in the second and third spots. Jeb Bush is holding steady at 8%, about the same level of support he’s seen since April in NBC News/SurveyMonkey polling. During that same period, Scott Walker has seen his support shrink from 12% to just 3% in our latest poll.

However, nearly a third of Republican voters now say that they expect Donald Trump will be the eventual nominee. When we first asked the question back in April, Trump and Fiorina had not yet announced their candidacies, and Scott Walker was leading the field. Back then, 24% thought Jeb Bush would be the eventual nominee. More than 1 in 5 currently say they don’t know who will win, showing that there’s still plenty of time for candidates to rise and fall during the next few months, as voters start to make up their minds.

To read expanded article, click here.

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Bernie Sanders appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Would you believe this was the first time I tuned into Colbert’s new show on CBS? Enjoy. Colbert cracking jokes on the presidential election [backup link]: The Interview [backup link]: Date of appearance: 09/18/2015 You just finished reading Bernie Sanders appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert! Consider leaving a comment!Visit bluecheddar.net for more more »

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Wisconsin State Journal only employs white people

I’m embarrassed that I’m so late to the party on this issue. I learned this yesterday and promptly felt like puking: “..the Wisconsin State Journal, the newspaper that proudly proclaims itself “Madison’s largest reporting team,” the second-largest newspaper in the state and the newspaper of record for our entire region, is an all-white newspaper.” SOURCE: more »

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InlandPolitics: GOP Debate: Thinning out the crowd!

Wednesday, September 16, 2015 -09:00 a.m.

It’s time to start thinning out the crowd.

Tonight’s second GOP debate, hosted by CNN (a.k.a. Clinton News Network), will begin the painful process of weeding out the empty suits in the current filed of 16 candidates.

The festivities will commence with the kid’s table of four ‘candidates-in-name-only’ at 4:00 p.m., followed by the main event at 6:00 p.m..

Tonight’s event, being held at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, was increased to accommodate Carly Fiorina, who nevertheless continues to perform poorly in the polls.

All the so-called experts say Trump has the target on his forehead. He’s purportedly going to be the focus of all the bottom-feeders, who are desperate to strike a chord with voters to jump-start their dying campaigns.

Expect illegal immigration to be the primary driver here.

Carson has started to make pro-amnesty murmurings, while Fiorina has come out against deportations.

In other words, most of the field won’t really do anything about the problem, especially the imaginary border, with its fake fences and walls.

If illegal immigration stays at the forefront, Trump will win hands down.

For decades, average Americans have been deluged with a plethora of campaign platforms, term papers, white papers, blah… blah….blah!

They now realize it’s been all false promises followed by myriad of excuses from the elected president as to why what was promised just can’t be done.

How many presidents have promised to balance the budget in ten years? It hasn’t happened yet!

Expect the moderators to pound on Trump. They’ll use everything they know fair and unfair to trip him up.

It may work! But then again it might not.

Just ask Megan Kelly from Fox News Channel.

Break out the popcorn and beverage…….

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Town of Apple Valley water company takeover

I’ve asked in the past for any information on the purchase of Apple Valley Ranchos by the Town of Apple Valley.  It’s one of those things that most of us understand is tainted by the corrupt five members of the Apple Valley Town Council, and probably their city manager and staff, but we cannot pinpoint the issues.

I’ve asked various sources who are close to the town council.  This is typical of the responses I have received:

Town of AV has been trying to be a water purveyor since day one. Their first attempts were with a water system that the town built around the airport back in or around 1990. They got all the property owners to pay a special assessment. the town built the water system, water storage tank on the side of Bell mountain pipe lines fire hydrants everything you need to start building a thriving industrial park around the airport. Except they didn’t design it with enough capacity to handle the fire flow or charge the fire sprinkler systems required in large industrial buildings. Property owners wound up with a tax bill with a monster assessment for a water system that was worthless for its intended purpose. Bottom line they got ripped-off and many of the property owners dumped the property. Which of course got picked up by Town of Apple Valley good ol boy Tom Rhubic(sp). expect more of the same if they do this.

And worse.

I’ve never had the time to research some of their pet projects such as the Apple Valley Golf Course, but insiders say that if I did, I would find family members, trusts, etc., that greatly benefited by its purchase.  Even Barb Stanton, who was so opposed to it until she was elected to the council, benefited.

Then you’ve got the two council members who live(d) together and there is a whole other mess of who is voting to help their “friends.”  Apple Valley is one dirty little secret after another.  It is almost an impenetrable cult of politicos and their friends using their influence and making money off the backs of its unknowing citizens.

Anyway, last night I received this email:

Could you pass this along to Sharon Gilbert? Too hot for me to handle and I think if you published it, they might link back to me.

The attached is a public records request from a law firm looking into irregularities with the way that the Town of Apple Valley has used Prop 218 to raise sewer rates.

The reason it’s a big deal is because this firm has one some pretty big settlements against cities in California that have violated Prop 218 to raise utility rates.

Here are a few examples:

• Pasadena: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/krause-kalfayan-benink–slavens-llp-achieves-72-million-settlement-of-prop-218-action-against-city-of-pasadena-273673491.html

• Riverside: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/krause-kalfayan-benink–slavens-llp-announces-settlement-of-proposition-218-case-with-city-of-riverside-209398311.html

• Burbank: http://www.burbankleader.com/tn-blr-me-burbank-hammering-out-settlement-on-utility-fund-transfers-20140926,0,6001956.story

Attached was this document: AV Water Takeover

We are still looking for information. This takeover stinks to high heaven but we don’t know the exact source. I’m sure glad I no longer live in town limits. I hate to think of what the water Nazis will do once they have control over our most precious resource.

The backlash on Bernie Sanders begins!

Despite the fact that this [barely functioning] blog has tried to be Wisconsin-centric, I’m going to try to do some more posts to help people keep up on Bernie Sanders news. —————————————————-   It appears that the establishment and its candidates have decided to quit dismissing Bernie Sanders and start attacking Bernie Sanders. The guy more »

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If Walker could see past his enormous ego, he’d realize he’s in 7th place and has no chance

Scott Walker only has 2% in the latest national ABC poll. The average of Scott Walker’s national polls put him in 7th place according to Real Clear Politics. The Republican Party only needs 1 nominee to run for president. I suppose it’s very difficult for a megalomaniac to quit looking in the mirror long enough more »

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Friday Night Football: follow all the action

Follow along as we send updated from all the Friday night football action in the area … Share this

Week 2 fearless football predictions

My Week 1 was much worse than my Week 0 picking games. Week 0: 25-7 record, Week 1, 28-13. Like I did in Week 0, I got 1 winning margin exactly correct. Week 0, it was Cajon by 9 over … Continue reading →

The Sacramento Bee: Final rush of legislating follows Labor Day events

Capitol Alert
By Jim Miller
jmiller@sacbee.com
September 7, 2015

• Several Sacramento-area Democratic lawmakers attend labor council picnic Monday
• State Sen. Richard Pan says his tobacco tax measure has a chance
• Hundreds of bills eligible for floor votes in Democrat-controlled Legislature before deadline

Lawmakers soaked up the sun and applause at Labor Day picnics around California on Monday, a respite of friendly crowds before a final rush of legislating that begins Tuesday.

Four days remain before Friday’s midnight legislative deadline. Hundreds of bills await floor votes; lobbying is intense on multiple measures; and three of the Legislature’s four caucuses have picked new leaders or leaders-elect in recent days, possibly injecting a new dynamic into end-of-session negotiations.

Senate Bill 350 remains the most debated measure heading into the final week. The bill by Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León, and backed by Gov. Jerry Brown, aims to reduce motor vehicle fuel consumption and increase the use of renewable energy. After passing the Senate in June, the measure faces uncertain prospects in the Assembly, where more moderate Democrats representing inland districts have demanded changes.

“How do we do it right and do it smart?” Assemblyman Jim Cooper, D-Elk Grove, said in an interview Monday during the Sacramento Central Labor Council’s picnic at Raley Field, where hundreds of union members and their families turned out for a barbecue, speeches and the River Cats game. “There’s been some movement on it, but we still don’t have the full picture. Negotiations are still taking place.”

Other major outstanding issues include legislation that would help clear a path for the unionization of child-care providers, a possible road-repair funding package and whether programs that serve nearly 300,000 people with developmental disabilities will receive more money, possibly from higher taxes. Tax increases would require two-thirds votes, meaning they would need the support of every Democrat and at least some Republican lawmakers.

State Sen. Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, the author of a health special session bill that would raise taxes on tobacco products, said he was “cautiously optimistic” it will pass before Friday’s regular-session deadline. Special-session work could extend into the fall, but there is little sign that will occur.

“There’s nothing that focuses the mind like a deadline,” Pan said at the Raley Field picnic. “We’re committed to making this happen.”

Cooper is among the Democrats who have publicly remained on the fence about SB 350. Cooper said he supports the goal of clean air, but said he wants assurances that the legislation will not saddle disproportionate costs on residents of his district and other inland areas.

To read expanded article, click here.

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Walker goes full Forrest Gump, says Canadian border wall is “legitimate issue for us to look at”

Update: Readers who hunger for more mockery of Scott Walker should check out the #CanadaWall tag on twitter. ————————————– Today on Meet the Press, Scott Walker said that a border wall between the United States and Canada is “a legitimate issue for us to look at”. I expect his campaign will tomorrow release a “clarifying” more »

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Walker goes full Forrest Gump, says Canadian border wall is “legitimate issue for us to look at”

Update: Readers who hunger for more mockery of Scott Walker should check out the #CanadaWall tag on twitter. ————————————– Today on Meet the Press, Scott Walker said that a border wall between the United States and Canada is “a legitimate issue for us to look at”. I expect his campaign will tomorrow release a “clarifying” more »

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SCOREBOARD! Keep track of how all the games are going

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1,200 Teamsters show SBCo. BOS they mean business

San Bernardino County leaders scoffed at the idea that the county’s general employees have had enough of pay and benefit cuts so much so that they would take a few hours out of a weekend morning to attend a union rally.  They were expecting a low turnout.  They were wrong.  More than 1,200 Teamsters showed for the event, which featured presentations by San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos and California State Treasurer John Chiang.

Historically, employees in the county’s general units have rolled over and taken whatever pay reductions San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors deemed necessary.  Attendance at union-sponsored events was often light.  But after years of pay cuts, earlier this year the general employees voted to affiliate with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and were excited to show their support of their new union on Saturday.

The Teamsters promises a different way of dealing with the board of supervisors.  Saturday’s rally was the first public display of how things will change.  It was meant to set the tone for an economic reopener scheduled next month.  Employees were quick to show their enthusiasm.

To read the entire article, click here.

Quinnipiac poll of FL,OH,PA: fortunes of Walker and Clinton sink as Biden’s rise

Notice that in the crucial state of Ohio, Scott Walker is only at 2%. This is all come to a poll looking for these days: Walker’s failure.   But other people are paying attention to the bigger picture, of course. Rubio is the only Republican polling ahead of Clinton in Ohio. Quinnipiac Poll: @MarcoRubio is the more »

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Scott Walker flip flops on birthright citizenship. Blames tiredness.

"Scott Walker said he accidentally took a position on [citizenship] because he was 'tired'" https://t.co/BBMDYMZQJo pic.twitter.com/vqBv0rSU8b — Billmon (@billmon1) August 21, 2015 At the Iowa state fair, Walker was for elimination of birthright citizenship. By Friday he had “no position” on it. “I’m not taking a position one way or the other,” Walker said in an more »

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Scott Walker flip flops on birthright citizenship. Blames tiredness.

"Scott Walker said he accidentally took a position on [citizenship] because he was 'tired'" https://t.co/BBMDYMZQJo pic.twitter.com/vqBv0rSU8b — Billmon (@billmon1) August 21, 2015 At the Iowa state fair, Walker was for elimination of birthright citizenship. By Friday he had “no position” on it. “I’m not taking a position one way or the other,” Walker said in an more »

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The Sun: Legislative report card: How have San Bernardino County legislators done so far this year?

Cheryl Brown represents California’s 47th State Assembly district and is seeking reelection in the June primary elections. (Courtesy photo)

By Beau Yarbrough and Ryan Hagen, The Sun
and Sandra Emerson, Redlands Daily Facts
Posted: 08/19/15, 12:57 PM PDT |

California’s legislators returned to work in Sacramento on Monday, poised for the battle to get their legislation approved before the 2015-16 session ends on Sept. 11.

They’ve got their work cut out for them, as they push for success. But even small changes can pack a lot of punch for a lawmaker’s constituents, one expert said.

It’s important to not just look at a legislator’s batting average, according to Claremont McKenna College political science professor Jack Pitney.

“If you’re running in a red district and you promise to cut state spending by 20 percent, not going to happen,” he said. “But if you make a small change in the law, that means a great deal to, say, local farmers, then that’s a great deal for those local farmers.”

Assemblyman Jay Obernolte, R-Hesperia, has introduced 24 items this legislative session, five of which have been signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown, as of midday on Monday. Those five include Assembly Bill 249 on legal appeals fees; AB 250 on rules regarding marriage and family therapist interns and trainees; AB 868, updating the rules regarding CalPERS pension contracts; Assembly Concurrent Resolution 21, designating a portion of state Route 18 as Rim of the World Veterans Memorial Highway; and Assembly Concurrent Resolution 25, declaring March 14, 2015 to be Pi Day.

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The post The Sun: Legislative report card: How have San Bernardino County legislators done so far this year? appeared first on InlandPolitics.com.

The Press-Enterprise: WORLD LOGISTICS CENTER: Moreno Valley OKs megawarehouse on 3-2 vote (UPDATE)

“This project is a game-changer of proportional magnitude not only for the city but the entire region,” said Mayor Jesse Molina, who was one of three supporters. Council members George Price and LaDonna Jempson opposed the project.

Published: Aug. 19, 2015 – Updated: 11:50 p.m.

After three years of controversy that has divided residents, Moreno Valley officials voted Wednesday, Aug. 19 to dramatically transform the city’s east side with what would be one of the largest warehouse complexes in the country.

To read article by Imran Ghori in The Press-Enterprise, click here.

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