CAPITOL JOURNAL

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger

The reign of California’s action-hero governor has so far been a disappointment. But he has one year left in which to improve his legacy.

By George Skelton
Capitol Journal

December 3, 2009

From Sacramento

If I were forced to describe the reign of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in one word, that word would be “disappointing.”

It began six years ago with missed opportunities and squandered superstardom. And it soon degenerated into plummeting popularity at a special election he called for flawed partisan “reforms.”

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By Susan Ferriss and Torey Van Oot
sferriss@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009 – 12:00 am | Page 1A
Last Modified: Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009 – 7:03 am

In a surprise move designed to end a brewing battle over who will be the next California Assembly speaker, current Speaker Karen Bass threw her support Wednesday behind rookie Assemblyman John Pérez of Los Angeles.

Bass told reporters at a Capitol press conference that Pérez had secured enough commitments within the Democratic caucus to pave the way to approval by the entire Assembly.

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Jesse B. Gill, Staff Writer
Posted: 12/03/2009 12:10:35 AM PST

By JESSE B. GILL

Staff Writer City to help with new Housing Authority project

REDLANDS – The San Bernardino County Housing Authority wants to build a new community in town and the Redevelopment Agency is going to help them do it.

The Housing Authority is planning a $75 millionmixed-income residential community including 189 rental units and 39 single-family homes. The project is slated for 19 acres on the northeast corner of Lugonia Avenue and Orange Street, where a complex of one-story apartments now occupies the property.

“It is to take out 115 units of distressed public housing that dates back to the late (19)40s or early 50s and replace (them) with 228 units of rental housing and home ownership opportunities,” said Susan Benner, the Housing Authority’s executive director.

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10:00 PM PST on Wednesday, December 2, 2009

By JANET ZIMMERMAN
The Press-Enterprise

The state is combing old water records to determine whether highly contaminated groundwater — which now stretches for miles from an industrial site in Rialto — caused illnesses among residents in the many decades before it was discovered, health officials said during a community meeting Wednesday night.

In 1997, three wells were found to have high levels of perchlorate, an ingredient in rocket fuel, and trichloroethylene, or TCE, an industrial solvent, which seeped into the soil and underground water. Water was not tested for perchlorate before then.

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Albert Kelley
Posted: 12/02/2009 05:06:39 PM PST

A recent guest commentary authored by Sen. Bob Dutton, “A gun to our head: The environment or jobs?” (Nov. 28), was an attempt to blame the Legislature (Democrats) and their allies for their “job-killing” environmental extremism!

Sadly, Sen. Dutton’s first attack was against those who would limit TV sales when, in reality, the move away from energy-consuming flat screens is the motive of consideration for consumer savings, safety, and protection; can’t we live with smaller toys, senator?

The next flash of Sen. Dutton’s diatribe was against a “bunch of environmental lawyers making a living suing folks to advance an ideological agenda”!

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Michael J. Sorba, Staff Writer
Posted: 12/02/2009 08:42:45 PM PST

COLTON – More mistakes by two top former administrators contributed to the city’s $5.9 million projected deficit, Councilman Vincent Yzaguirre said Wednesday, while another councilman pointed the finger at the City Council itself.

The city’s financial crisis grew by almost another $1 million recently with the discovery of more errors that were made in the 2009-10 budget, which was approved in July. Previously, the projected deficit was about $5 million.

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