Speak of being bent over. Go ask San Bernardino County Public Attorneys Association members.

This attorneys group primarily represents county prosecutors and defense attorneys.

Like a bunch of lap dogs, the group ran out and voted through a labor contract modifcation with San Bernardino County, which effectively cancelled ongoing cost of living adjustments.

Read the rest of this entry »

One thing is certain. San Bernardino County is in need of a competent economist.

They certainly don’t have one now.

The county’s long-term reluctance to take preemptive steps at dealing with budget impacts is alarming. The turmoil with its employee unions severely complicates matters.

Read the rest of this entry »

InlandPolitics.com passed a new milestone last week breaking the 50,000 daily hit threshold.

The big day was courtesy of the FBI / IRS by way of their activity in Upland on Wednesday of last week.

Thank you for your readership.

Proposals include 12-hour shifts, ending take-home cars
Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Created: 06/16/2010 09:19:32 PM PDT

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department is considering eliminating take-home vehicles for some investigators and having deputies work 12-hour shifts three days a week in order to shore up its budget and cut overtime costs.

Undersheriff Bill Abernathy, along with two deputy chiefs and county human resources officials, met with members of the San Bernardino County Safety Employee Benefit Association (SEBA) on Wednesday to discuss the proposals, which will continue indefinitely, said Bill Abernathie, SEBA president and no relation to Undersheriff Abernathy.

Read the rest of this entry »

Service cuts pending?

Andrew Edwards, Staff Writer
Posted: 06/16/2010 09:43:12 PM PDT

SAN BERNARDINO – The city’s financial situation is serious enough that policymakers and city employees have openly worried of police layoffs and other major service cuts, but budget briefings have yet to provide any details on which jobs or programs may be eliminated if there is no other way to solve a $24 million deficit.

The City Council is at the beginning of what may be a prolonged process to figure out what the city can afford. San Bernardino’s policymakers are going through the budget on a department-by-department basis. Police Chief Keith Kilmer and Fire Chief Michael Conrad briefed the council on their plans on Wednesday, as did Community Development Director Valerie Ross.

Read the rest of this entry »

Schiavone

09:37 PM PDT on Wednesday, June 16, 2010

By PAUL LaROCCO
The Press-Enterprise

The Riverside County district attorney’s office has closed its witness-tampering probe involving a former city councilman and topless bar dancer without filing charges.

Frank Schiavone had been under scrutiny regarding his contact with Michelle Wilson, then a dancer at Club 215 in Colton. She had been with Schiavone’s friend, ex-police chief Russ Leach, on Feb. 8 before a drunk Leach was stopped by Riverside police and taken home.

Read the rest of this entry »

Elrod

Neil Nisperos, Staff Writer
Created: 06/16/2010 06:15:12 PM PDT

CHINO – Councilman Earl Elrod will be arraigned next week for his involvement in a hit-and-run incident that led to a standoff with police at his house.

Elrod was arrested for driving under the influence related to the Feb. 14 incident at C and 10th streets, but he was able to escape that charge because California Highway Patrol officers could not show evidence of it.

Read the rest of this entry »

Josh Dulaney, Staff Writer
Posted: 06/16/2010 06:12:49 PM PDT

FONTANA – Councilwoman Acquanetta Warren’s e-mail inbox filled up moments after the mayor’s seat became empty.

Supporters have flooded Warren with e-mails since Mayor Mark Nuaimi announced Monday his plans to step down at the end of the month.

Read the rest of this entry »

Rep. Darrell Issa

10:00 PM PDT on Wednesday, June 16, 2010

By BEN GOAD
Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON – Love him or hate him, Inland Rep. Darrell Issa has emerged as a national figure during the past 18 months by launching a series of investigations seeking to expose waste, fraud and abuse in the Obama administration.

Though dubious of his findings — and motives — Democrats are beginning to take notice.

Read the rest of this entry »

10:00 PM PDT on Wednesday, June 16, 2010

By DUG BEGLEY
The Press-Enterprise

Activists, union and community officials in Riverside County said Wednesday they’ll fight to have electioneers count 12,563 ballots left at a post office and deemed ineligible.

“The voters … should not be penalized for errors,” said Nina Ramos Hiers, president of the Democratic Club of Moreno Valley.

Read the rest of this entry »

Loan could help deter layoffs, city cuts
Jesse B. Gill, Staff Writer
Posted: 06/16/2010 09:41:58 PM PDT

REDLANDS – The City Council didn’t vote on a budget plan but reached a consensus during a special meeting Wednesday on how to handle the $8.9 million budget gap heading into the 2010-2011 fiscal year.

The council plans to combine budget cuts and a loan from its enterprise and impact funds to start the next fiscal year with a balanced budget. Details of exactly what jobs will be eliminated and where the city will borrow money from were not available Wednesday.

Read the rest of this entry »

Ryan Carter, Staff Writer
Posted: 06/16/2010 09:41:25 PM PDT

Lawmakers debating financial reform in a House-Senate conference committee agreed late Tuesday on an amendment that would allow 6,500 former IndyMac depositors to recoup about $233 million in savings lost when the bank failed two years ago.

If passed by the full House and Senate, the amendment, called the IndyAct, would make a federal deposit insurance cap of $250,000 retroactive to Jan. 1, 2008, seven months before the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. seized the collapsing bank headquartered in Pasadena.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Jim Sanders
jsanders@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Jun. 17, 2010 – 12:00 am | Page 4A

The Legislature’s failure to pass a state budget by its constitutional deadline played a key role Wednesday in killing a proposed pay cut for lawmakers and other top officeholders, according to members of the state’s pay panel.

Lawmakers will continue to be paid $95,291 annually, while other officeholder salaries will range from $173,987 for governor – Arnold Schwarzenegger does not accept pay – to $130,490 for members of the Board of Equalization.

Read the rest of this entry »

By John Howard | 06/16/10 12:00 AM PST

Four state-employee bargaining units representing 23,000 workers have reached tentative agreements with the Schwarzenegger administration on new labor contracts. The pacts, which must be approved by the unions’ rank-and-file members and the Legislature, reflect the state’s harsh economic environment.

The unions made it clear that they were not pleased with the agreements, but said the state’s fiscal condition required workers to tighten their belts. Gov. Schwarzenegger said the agreements reflected an element of pension reform.

Read the rest of this entry »

Published: Thursday, Jun. 17, 2010 – 12:00 am | Page 6B

Taxable sales in California decreased 19 percent in the second quarter of 2009 compared with the same quarter the previous year, according to new statistics released Tuesday by the state Board of Equalization.

BOE said statewide taxable sales in the second quarter last year totaled $113.4 billion, a drop of $26.6 billion from the second quarter of 2008. In Sacramento County, taxable sales declined 19.2 percent, to $4.1 billion, during the period.

To read entire story, click here.