Politics, Government & Business in California's Inland Empire
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One has to ask why would the Riverside County Board of Supervisors vote to approve a project that will eventually lead to the construction of 11,150 homes, with an ongoing major recession not likely to end anytime soon?
Yes, I wrote 11,150.
This very approval happened last Tuesday. The beneficiary of course was the Lewis Group of Companies.
Lewis will be the master developer for the development known as the Villages of Lakeview.
Don Kurth
The San Bernardino City Professional Firefighters have announced their endorsement of Dr. Don Kurth, Mayor of Rancho Cucamonga for election to the California State Assembly – 63rd District.
The seat is being vacated by Bill Emmerson (R – Redlands), who is termed out. Emmerson is currently campaigning to replace John Benoit in the State Senate.
Benoit resigned to fill the seat of the late Roy Wilson on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors
Kurth has already been endorsed by the San Bernardino County Safety Employees Benefits Association (SEBA).
SEBA represents county peace officers.
So now San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos has decided county supervisors have too much power.
It’ll be interesting to see if county supervisors in California’s other 57 counties agree. Not likely.
In an obvious campaign maneuver Ramos made the rounds with local newspaper editorial boards this week touting his so-called “white paper” on reforming county government.
A High Desert developer tied to two local political action committees related to an ongoing corruption investigation by the San Bernardino County District Attorney was arrested this morning on two counts of perjury.
John DeFazio was arrested by District Attorney investigators this morning. His bail is set at $50,000.
11:01 PM PST on Wednesday, February 24, 2010
By RICHARD K. DE ATLEY
The Press-Enterprise
Paul Zellerbach, a one-time Riverside County prosecutor who has taken an unpaid leave of absence as a Superior Court judge, announced Wednesday he will run for Riverside County district attorney against incumbent Rod Pacheco in November.
“I think it is time for a change. The citizens of Riverside County deserve better from a district attorney. They are not getting what they are paying for,” Zellerbach, 56, said.
Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 02/24/2010 09:45:41 PM PST
District Attorney Michael A. Ramos on Wednesday released a slate of proposed governmental reforms he feels are necessary to thwart the legacy of corruption in San Bernardino County.
During a meeting with The Sun’s editorial board, Ramos said cleaning up corruption in the county will be part of his platform in his re-election campaign this year.
Troy Anderson, Staff Writer
Created: 02/24/2010 09:21:59 PM PST
A federal judge said this week he would need more time to review a request for a preliminary injunction barring Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley from retaliating against prosecutors who joined the union.
The hearing was held in response to a lawsuit the 300-member Association of Deputy District Attorneys filed against Cooley, alleging he retaliated against veteran prosecutors by transferring them to remote parts of the county, increased their health insurance payments, demoted them and downgraded their performance evaluations. Read the rest of this entry »
Brown
Carla Marinucci, Chronicle Political Writer
Thursday, February 25, 2010
As California’s two GOP gubernatorial candidates rushed in recent days from NASCAR races to town hall meetings, Attorney General Jerry Brown – the Democrats’ lone hope for governor this year – has been so low-key and out of the limelight that Republicans have begun a daily chant: “Where’s Jerry?”
The California Republican Party’s caustic jabs hit the former two-term governor for being MIA while others are grabbing the campaign headlines – even Zsa Zsa Gabor’s husband, Prince Frederic von Anhalt, has jumped into the race.
By Anthony York | 02/25/10 12:00 AM PST
This week, the constitutional deadline for the Legislature to respond to the fiscal emergency declared by Gov. Schwarzenegger came and went. But Democratic leaders in both houses are slowing down new cuts to state services in hopes that the state’s economy continues to improve, and the need for cuts eases by this summer.
By Dale Kasler
dkasler@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010 – 12:00 am | Page 8B
California’s two big public pension funds would be barred from investing in real estate deals that depend on bumping tenants out of rent-controlled housing under a bill recently introduced in the Legislature.
Assembly Bill 2337 is a direct response to a pair of controversial investments made by the California Public Employees’ Retirement System and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System.
February 25, 2010
By pledging to release his income taxes for public inspection, Steve Poizner has set a trap for Meg Whitman: If she doesn’t release them, you gotta ask, “What’s she hiding?” And if she does, we can expect a treasure trove of damned interesting reading.
To wit: The question raised by the California Accountability Project – a wholly owned, million-dollar subsidiary of the Democratic Governors Association – “Is Meg Whitman still shifting her millions into offshore tax havens to avoid having to pay her fair share?”
By Rob Hotakainen
rhotakainen@mcclatchydc.com
Published: Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010 – 12:00 am | Page 1A
WASHINGTON – While Anthem Blue Cross proposed a 39 percent rate increase on thousands of its California customers, its parent company paid 39 of its top executives more than $1 million each and spent more than $27 million on 103 lavish executive retreats, according to congressional investigators.
“One question we asked is where does all of this money go? Corporate executives at WellPoint are thriving, while its policyholders are paying the price,” Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman of Los Angeles said Wednesday at a House subcommittee hearing, where results of the investigation were announced.
By Jon Ortiz
jortiz@sacbee.com The Sacramento Bee
Published: Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010 – 12:00 am | Page 3A
Last Modified: Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010 – 6:05 am
A little over a year ago, this column asked whether California’s state employee unions were in retreat. It’s now clear that the answer is yes.
First the big picture: Last year, unions nationwide lost 10 percent of their private-sector members, the largest drop in more than 25 years, according to federal stats. The impact on labor: fewer members, less dues money.
Debra J. Saunders
Thursday, February 25, 2010
With the other name Democrats out of the race, Attorney General Jerry Brown basically has a lock on his party’s primary election. That’s good for Brown, who won’t have to blow millions of dollars on a primary. But it’s only good for Democrats if Brown can win in November.
Debra J. Saunders
Brown is not without baggage. He’s so yesteryear. At age 71, Brown hit his political peak decades ago when he was governor in the 1970s and early ’80s. When Brown reminds Democrats of those bygone days (as he does frequently), even supporters start to wonder if they’re trapped in a Nickelodeon rerun.