Politics, Government & Business in California's Inland Empire
Two San Bernardino County officials got their pink slips today.
Public Health Director Jim Lindley and Solid Waste Management Division Chief Peter Wulfman were fired.
The first shoes to drop under newly hired County Administrative Officer Greg Devereaux. Both positions report to Devereaux.
James Rufus Koren, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/29/2010 05:59:52 PM PDT
Allegations of corruption and sexual harassment don’t appear to have hurt the fund-raising abilities of incumbent San Bernardino County officials who are seeking re-election in June.
District Attorney Mike Ramos, the subject of a harassment claim from a former employee, and supervisors Paul Biane and Gary Ovitt, whose offices are tied to a corruption investigation, have hundreds of thousands in campaign cash, while their opponents have little or no money to speak of, recent campaign finance disclosure documents show.
Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/29/2010 06:16:08 PM PDT
Local and state prosecutors met with San Bernardino County Counsel Ruth Stringer on Monday to press again for the release of confidential attorney-client information regarding the county’s controversial legal settlement with Rancho Cucamonga-based developer Colonies Partners LP.
Stringer met with Assistant District Attorney Jim Hackleman and Senior Assistant Attorney General Gary Schons for about two hours.
Delgado
Debbie Pfeiffer Trunnell, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/29/2010 08:15:04 PM PDT
SAN BERNARDINO – On the day when a series of meetings, focused on turning around struggling schools, kicked off in the city, a group of activists gathered at the district office to demand the ouster of Superintendent Arturo Delgado.
The Westside Action Group issued a news release Monday saying the superintendent had done little to further the cause of black students and the San Bernardino City Unified School District could benefit most from changing its leadership.
10:25 PM PDT on Monday, March 29, 2010
By RICHARD K. DE ATLEY
The Press-Enterprise
An earlier version of this story attributed a $10,000 campaign contribution from Criminal Defense Attorneys to District Attorney Rod Pacheco. The contribution was to opponent Paul Zellerbach.
Campaign finance reports for the first three months of the year show incumbent District Attorney Rod Pacheco leading his only challenger Paul Zellerbach in campaign fundraising.
Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Created: 03/29/2010 03:44:48 PM PDT
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors will resume private discussion today regarding the purchase of the Carousel Mall property in downtown San Bernardino, where a new government center is being proposed.
The board began the private talks nearly a year ago and has discussed other potential sites for county offices as far west as Ontario.
10:00 PM PDT on Monday, March 29, 2010
The Press-Enterprise
Highland City Councilman Larry McCallon faces a $2,000 fine from the state political watchdog agency for misusing campaign funds.
McCallon used $2,800 from his council campaign account to pay for expenses related to his campaign for the San Bernardino County Republican Central Committee in 2008, the state Fair Political Practices Commission announced Monday.
Rick Orlov, Staff Writer
Created: 03/29/2010 08:16:05 PM PDT
Claremont resident and Los Angeles City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana announced this weekend that he has enrolled in an alcohol treatment center and is temporarily stepping down from his post.
“I do not know how long this stage of my journey will be,” Santana said in a statement. “I apologize to my family, friends, the mayor, the City Council, CAO staff and the entire city family for my irresponsible behavior.
By PE Politics
on March 30, 2010 11:56 AM
Bill Emmerson’s campaign is not happy with the latest independent expenditure TV ads that alternately tout GOP opponent Russ Bogh and trash Emmerson.
Here’s our previous post about the commercials and how they were paid for.
And here’s a statement from the Emmerson campaign this morning:
By Ed Mendel
The nation’s two biggest public pension funds, CalPERS and CalSTRS, were big investors in debt-laden private equity during the boom years. Now some worry that a wave of debt coming due in two years could limit borrowing needed for refinancing.
A page-one New York Times story this month said massive corporate and federal government debts are coming due at the same time, causing worry that “some companies will have trouble getting new loans, spurring defaults and a wave of bankruptcies.”
10:00 PM PDT on Monday, March 29, 2010
By DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise
Eliminating more than 100 people from the public defender’s office. Cutting nearly 50 positions from Animal Services. Reducing public health clinic hours in Corona, Banning, Hemet and Jurupa.
Those are just a few of the scenarios Riverside County administrators said Monday would result if supervisors impose 25 percent budget cuts as they work to close a growing budget gap.
State leaders’ inability to balance the budget has stalled construction of low-income housing units. Wary Wall Street lenders are contributing to delays.
By Shane Goldmacher
March 30, 2010
Reporting from Sacramento – The din of construction is missing from the eastern edge of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where workers had hoped to break ground on a 70-unit affordable-housing complex months ago. No nail guns are firing. No hard hat-wearing workers are milling about.
And it’s not the only would-be construction site that’s silent. Plans to build more than 16,000 housing units in California, many of them for low-income residents, have been frozen in bureaucratic limbo since July.
