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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