Politics, Government & Business in California's Inland Empire
Biane
The legal tab for Second District Supervisor Paul Biane increased further during the first quarter of 2010.
Campaign finance disclosure records filed with the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters show Biane paid another $13,069.75 to the law firm of Corbin, Fitzgerald and Athey LLP.
Things are definitely looking up on the San Bernardino County government front.
New County Administrative Officer Greg Devereaux is rapidly getting a clear picture of county finances and routing out discrepancies. Something everyone is glad to see happen.
Economic Report
April 8, 2010, 9:07 a.m. EDT
By Ruth Mantell, MarketWatch
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The number of people applying for unemployment benefits rose 18,000 to a seasonally adjusted 460,000 in the week ended April 3, the Labor Department reported Thursday.
Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had expected a result of 442,000. The four-week average of initial claims — a better gauge of employment trends than the volatile weekly number – rose 2,250 to 450,250.
Bono-Mack
By PE Politics
on April 7, 2010 2:32 PM
Inland Rep. Mary Bono Mack and one of those trying to replace her, Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet, each picked up endorsements in recent days.
Bono Mack, R-Palm Springs, got formal backing from the Log Cabin Republicans, a conservative group that promotes fairness for gay and lesbian Americans. The group has consistently supported Bono Mack, calling her an ally for Riverside County’s gay population.
Emmerson
By PE Politics
on April 7, 2010 1:16 PM
There’s a new entrant in the crush of independent spending in the race leading up to Tuesday’s election in the 37th Senate District.
The California Tribal Business Alliance reports spending $21,605 for a mailer supporting Assemblyman Bill Emmerson.
10:00 PM PDT on Wednesday, April 7, 2010
By JAN SEARS
The Press-Enterprise
A survey of Redlands voters shows that about 60 percent would be willing to vote in favor of a half-cent sales tax surcharge, the City Council was told Tuesday.
The approval rating goes up slightly when those surveyed are told the city would spend the money on such services as street improvements, keeping public areas clean and fighting drug- and gang-related crime, a survey by True North Research Inc. showed.
Wendy Leung, Staff Writer
Created: 04/07/2010 05:07:10 PM PDT
ONTARIO – The good news is, there’s no more bad news.
Moderate job growth – more than 10,000 new jobs, mostly in the blue collar sector – will arrive this year, leading a gradual recovery for the Inland Empire region, said economist John Husing at the Ontario Convention Center on Wednesday.
“It’s not wild job creation but positive boost we’ll be seeing in the economy,” Husing said.
Schools worry about coming debts
Canan Tasci, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/07/2010 09:11:16 PM PDT
In the midst of California’s budget crisis, a number of Inland Valley school districts have hoisted red flags, expressing uncertainty about their financial futures to county and state education officials.
So far this school year, five Inland Valley school districts – Alta Loma, Central, Chino Valley Unified, Etiwanda and Pomona Unified – have submitted interim financial reports that included a “qualified” certification. The notation indicates that the district might not be able to balance its budgets in the current or next two fiscal years.
Josh Dulaney, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/07/2010 06:42:50 PM PDT
RIALTO – Labor negotiations between the firefighters union and the city have broken off amid efforts by officials to close a budget shortfall.
Nash Briones, president of Rialto Professional Firefighters Local 3688, said Wednesday the City Council has rejected $2 million in concessions offered by the union.
Troy Anderson, Staff Writer
Created: 04/07/2010 08:11:02 PM PDT
The union representing Los Angeles County prosecutors has filed a class-action lawsuit against District Attorney Steve Cooley, alleging his office committed “what amounts to identity theft” by obtaining a list of 650 prosecutors who supported the union, officials said.
The lawsuit alleges Cooley’s office obtained a highly confidential list of the prosecutors who supported the Association of Deputy District Attorneys and subsequently used the list to intimidate and harass them, damaging prosecutors’ careers and prospects for advancement.
PolitiCal
On politics in the Golden State
Chamber of Commerce ad attacking Brown angers some board members
April 7, 2010 | 7:24 pm
Some members of the California Chamber of Commerce board are up in arms over the influential business group’s funding of a television commercial attacking Jerry Brown while calling it an “issues” ad on taxes and spending. The commercial briefly talks about the need to rein in spending and then goes on to blast Brown, the presumed Democratic nominee for governor, as being a big spender throughout his long political career.
In a letter Wednesday, four board members told chamber President and Chief Executive Allan Zaremberg that “to any reasonably minded person this is nothing more than a typical political attack ad. It undermines the chamber’s credibility to justify it as anything other than that.”
The legislation, prompted by a spreading nationwide scandal over sometimes huge fees paid to ‘placement agents,’ barely overcomes opposition from lobbyists for Wall Street firms.
By Marc Lifsher
April 8, 2010
Reporting from Sacramento
A bill that would outlaw payments of sometimes huge commissions to the intermediaries that broker investments by California’s two big public pension funds was approved by a key Assembly committee without a vote to spare Wednesday.
The measure, sponsored by the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, the country’s largest government pension fund, barely overcame opposition from lobbyists for Wall Street investment firms, led by the powerful private equity firm Blackstone Group.
By Mark Glover
mglover@sacbee.com The Sacramento Bee
Published: Thursday, Apr. 8, 2010 – 12:00 am | Page 8B
Last Modified: Thursday, Apr. 8, 2010 – 7:58 am
Nearly 70 percent of Californians are skeptical about prospects for economic recovery in the state, according to the latest quarterly survey by Citi, the financial services company.
The Citi California Pulse survey found that 69 percent of Californians currently see few signs of the economy improving statewide.