Barbara Boxer                  Carly Fiorina

Election 2010: California Senate

Thursday, October 14, 2010

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Incumbent Democrat Barbara Boxer continues to hold the slightest of leads over Republican challenger Carly Fiorina in California’s U.S. Senate race.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in California shows Boxer with 49% support and Fiorina with 46%. Two percent (2%) prefer another candidate in the race, and three percent (3%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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Wednesday, October 13, 2010 – 01:00 p.m.
Last Updated: October 14, 2010 – 06:30 a.m.

The blame game has already started related to the various allegations swirling around San Bernardino County’s government pension fund.

Employees and trustees of the San Bernardino County Employees Retirement Association (SBCERA) are now pointing fingers and casting blame for the now-public missteps at the pension fund.

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Penrod

Wednesday, October 13, 2010 – 04:55 p.m.
Last Updated: October 13, 2010 – 07:55 p.m.

The state’s political watchdog is set to fine former San Bernardino County Sheriff Gary Penrod and former San Bernardino Mayor Judith Valles at it’s meeting Thursday.

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10:26 PM PDT on Wednesday, October 13, 2010

By JIM MILLER
Sacramento Bureau

SACRAMENTO – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger soon will sign legislation that rolls back retirement benefits for state workers, achieving a years-long goal after he and the Legislature’s Republican caucuses demanded pension changes as part of any budget agreement.

But several Inland GOP members nevertheless opposed the measure or abstained from voting during last week’s all-night session, amid heavy lobbying by the union representing prison guards.

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Airport future still looking cloudy
Rebecca U. Cho, Staff Writer
Created: 10/13/2010 09:50:25 PM PDT

Southwest Airlines is the only low-cost airline continuing to operate at L.A./Ontario International Airport, adding to concerns regarding the beleaguered airport’s future.

Southwest also has slashed daily flights from ONT from 58 in 2001 to about 40 this year, according to a report released last month by the city of Ontario.

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Foreclosures probed

Staff and Wire Reports
Created: 10/13/2010 09:50:40 PM PDT

Officials in all 50 states and the District of Columbia began a joint investigation on Wednesday into allegations that mortgage companies mishandled documents and acted illegally to foreclose on hundreds of thousands of homeowners.

The officials, including attorneys general and bank regulators, will review whether mortgage company employees made false statements or prepared documents improperly.

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Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Created: 10/13/2010 06:24:35 PM PDT

For nearly two years, Rancho Cucamonga Councilman Rex Gutierrez attended dozens of city-related meetings and special events when he was supposed to be working for the San Bernardino County Assessor’s Office, according to court testimony Wednesday.

Gutierrez’s conduct was also sanctioned by former county Assessor Bill Postmus, who prosecutors allege hired Gutierrez as a political favor for Rancho Cucamonga developer Jeff Burum, an allegation Burum denies.

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October 13, 2010 12:00 PM

VICTORVILLE • With the November general election little more than three weeks away, the Daily Press and Victor Valley College are partnering on a forum for Victor Valley College candidates.

Daily Press news staff will moderate the forum. Public question-and-answer periods are also planned.

The forum is planned for 6 to 7:20 p.m. Wednesday at the VVC Student Activities Center.

To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

Barack and Michelle Obama, Bill Clinton, Sarah Palin and John McCain are among the luminaries slated to campaign for the state’s tight gubernatorial and Senate races as election day nears.

By Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times
October 14, 2010

Former President Bill Clinton and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will try to exert their influence on California’s political races this week, the latest in a long list of luminaries to lavish attention on the state as the Nov. 2 election nears.

The onslaught of top draws from both sides of the political aisle benefits both the candidates receiving the help and the celebrities offering it. The interest is prompted by several factors, chief among them the fact that the gubernatorial and Senate contests in blue-leaning California are so tight this close to election day.

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By David Siders
dsiders@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Oct. 14, 2010 – 12:00 am | Page 1A

When Meg Whitman accuses Jerry Brown of failing Oakland’s schools, he typically mentions the two charter schools he started and says they are doing “quite well” or are “very, very successful.”

By some standard performance measures, however, they are not.

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By ANDY BARR | 10/13/10 7:27 PM EDT

The National Organization for Women on Wednesday called on Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jerry Brown to fire the supposed aide who suggested the campaign call Republican Meg Whitman a “whore.”

Hours later, however, they backed away from that position, calling the incident “a teachable moment.”

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PolitiCal
On politics in the Golden State
October 13, 2010 | 5:43 pm

Jerry Brown released a new campaign ad Wednesday, focusing on what it calls Meg Whitman’s “loose relationship with the truth.” The quote comes from the San Jose Mercury News’ endorsement of Brown, which was published earlier this week. The editorial states that Whitman “utterly lacks the qualifications to be governor.” Brown’s new ad is the latest negative ad in what has been an acrimounious gubernatorial campaign. You can watch Brown’s new ad below.

By Dan Morain
dmorain@sacbee.com The Sacramento Bee
Published: Thursday, Oct. 14, 2010 – 12:00 am | Page 15A

Until Jerry Brown came along, Trice Harvey had offered the worst apology for calling someone a “whore” – and ole Trice wasn’t trying to be sincere.

Harvey was a Republican assemblyman from Bakersfield in 1994 when Republicans won control of the lower house and thought they could elect a speaker.

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October 14, 2010

A coalition of Southern California and Central Valley labor groups plans to spend $2.5 million over the next three weeks on a coordinated, Spanish language multi-media campaign to boost turnout among occasional Latino voters for the Nov. 2 election.

Led by Maria Elena Durazo, executive secretary-treasurer of the L.A. County Federation of Labor, and former Speaker Fabian Nunez, the group has invited Spanish language news organizations to a press conference today to unveil details of the program, which includes TV advertising, a direct mail effort and a get-out-the-vote operation.

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PolitiCal
On politics in the Golden State
October 13, 2010 | 6:00 pm

State lawmakers will be in Santa Ana on Oct. 20 for a hearing on whether more disclosure should be required of salaries and benefits received by government officials in response to the Bell pay scandal.

The Senate Local Government Committee hearing on “transparency and accountability” will begin at 1 p.m. in the board room at the Rancho Santiago Community College District. Among those invited to testify include representatives of the League of California Cities and the state auditor’s office.

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Debra J. Saunders
San Francisco Chronicle
Thursday, October 14, 2010

Californians do not face an easy choice in the race for governor – as was clear in Tuesday night’s debate at Dominican University in San Rafael.

Republican Meg Whitman so parses her positions that at times she seems to stand for nothing. She has had to over-compensate for her spotty voting record by throwing more than $140 million into her campaign – while she incongruously argues that she can cut the size of state government.

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