By Don Lee and Alejandro Lazo, Los Angeles Times

July 2, 2010

Reporting from Washington and Los Angeles —

A fresh batch of weak economic news Thursday heightened concerns about the staying power of the fledgling recovery, with more uninspiring news expected Friday when the government reports on the May job market.

FOR THE RECORD:
This article incorrectly says the government will report on the May job market Friday. It will report on the June job market.

The number of pending home sales plunged 30% in May from April, to the lowest level since at least 2001, an industry group reported Thursday, reflecting a larger-than-expected fallout from the expiration of the federal tax credit for home buyers.

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www.iepolitics.com

Written by Administrator
July 1st, 2010 at 4:56 pm

As I read various blog comments and accounts of Rancho Cucamonga City Councilman and former San Bernardino County Assessor employee Rex Gutierrez’ corruption trial and non-verdict, I realize the magnitude of what happened Wednesday is lost on most. Let me explain.

The District Attorney pulled out all stops to keep this case from going to trial any sooner than necessary due to his re-election campaign and fear certain information might come out during the trial. Gutierrez refused to waive time further. The District Attorney used every procedural delay available and the trial did not commence until the last possible moment. The District Attorney was hoping a smoking gun would materialize but it never did. The District Attorney’s hand was forced.

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10:00 PM PDT on Thursday, July 1, 2010

By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise

San Bernardino County prosecutors didn’t have any second thoughts about retrying a corruption case that ended in a mistrial, a district attorney’s official said Thursday.

Prosecutors made the announcement only minutes after Superior Court Judge Duke Rouse declared a mistrial in the criminal case against Rancho Cucamonga Councilman Rex Gutierrez. The state attorney general’s office, co-prosecuting the case, joined a statement supporting the decision.

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Andrew Edwards, Staff Writer
Posted: 07/01/2010 06:22:08 PM PDT

SAN BERNARDINO – All of a sudden, it’s an election year in San Bernardino.

San Bernardino voters elect city officers in odd-numbered years, but a City Charter amendment that appears headed to the November ballot could generate as much politicking as a mayoral race.

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Andrew Edwards, Staff Writer
Posted: 07/01/2010 05:35:07 PM PDT

Many San Bernardino County homeowners may be able to expect lower property tax bills, but declines in the assessment roll could signal further money problems for local governments.

“The county continues to suffer from the decline of the real estate market and it’s something that the county has to budget for and deal with,” county spokesman David Wert said.

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July 01, 2010 5:22 PM
From Staff Reports

SAN BERNARDINO • Victor Valley property values plummeted faster than every other city in San Bernardino County over the past year, according to the annual property assessment roll signed this week by Assessor Dennis Draeger.

County-wide, property values saw a 4.5 percent decline compared to 2009-10, the assessor reported. The county’s roll of 819,827 parcels is now valued at $162.8 billion.

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Liset Márquez, Staff Writer
Created: 07/01/2010 06:43:26 PM PDT

ONTARIO – Passing a $383 million budget isn’t a relaxing task, but the mood of the City Council here was calm and light.

The relaxed atmosphere, they say, was a testament to their feelings about city staff, who had the foresight to prepare them for a plummeting economy and help deflect budget chaos.

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Monica Rodriguez, Staff Writer
Created: 07/01/2010 05:51:22 PM PDT

POMONA – More than 100 Pomona Unified teachers and other certificated employees will soon receive a letter informing them that they will have a job in the 2010-11 school year.

The district’s school board on Wednesday voted to rescind 113 layoff notices that were issued in May.

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10:00 PM PDT on Thursday, July 1, 2010

By RICHARD K. DE ATLEY
The Press-Enteprise

A union survey of Riverside County district attorney investigators shows dissatisfaction with the bureau and chief investigator Vern Horst, who said he will work to improve direct communication with his personnel.

Horst said he believed the results were influenced by budget cuts, loss of take-home cars for investigators, reassignments and a change in the bureau of investigation’s focus to a more pro-active law enforcement style.

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Ken McLaughlin

kmclaughlin@mercurynews.com
Posted: 07/01/2010 09:38:28 PM PDT
Updated: 07/01/2010 09:38:29 PM PDT

The telephone rings and Meg Whitman, the Republican candidate for governor, is greeting you by your first name. You flip on the TV, and there she is again on a new kind of interactive ad that lets you order a free Meg 2010 bumper sticker with the push of a few buttons on your remote control.

Surf on over to Whitman’s flashy website and, with the click of your mouse, voilà, it’s “Meg 2010: Una Nueva California” — the whole site is translated into Spanish. Click again and it’s in Chinese.

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Carla Marinucci, Chronicle Political Writer

Friday, July 2, 2010

Attorney General Jerry Brown is being criticized by his GOP rival Meg Whitman’s campaign staff over the sexually harassing behavior of a former aide.

(07-01) 18:41 PDT OAKLAND — With supporters of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown attacking Republican Meg Whitman for a 2007 shoving incident at eBay, the state attorney general is also facing heat for his own past workplace issues.

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