Politics, Government & Business in California's Inland Empire
Andrew Edwards, Staff Writer
Posted: 10/20/2010 08:48:26 PM PDT
SAN BERNARDINO – Allegations that City Attorney James F. Penman challenged the police chief to a fight is a new aspect to the arguments over Measure C, a proposal to amend the City Charter.
There are major discrepancies between different parties’ recollections of the exchange between Penman and Police Chief Keith Kilmer, which took place Oct. 7.
Gutierrez
Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Created: 10/20/2010 08:48:17 PM PDT
Attorneys delivered their closing arguments Wednesday in the retrial of Rancho Cucamonga Councilman Rex Gutierrez. The seven-woman, five-man jury will begin deliberating today.
Prosecutors outlined for the jury what they describe as a “culture of corruption” in the San Bernardino County Assessor’s Office under the reign of Bill Postmus in 2007 and 2008, and that Gutierrez was hired by Postmus as a political favor to Rancho Cucamonga developer Jeff Burum, who contributed to both Gutierrez’s and Postmus’ campaigns.
DUI in 2005 comes to light
Sandra Emerson, Staff Writer
Created: 10/20/2010 09:33:01 PM PDT
Paul Biane, the 2nd District’s representative on the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, has decided to turn in his county-issued vehicle due to scrutiny of a misdemeanor five years ago.
Biane was arrested in Cook County, Ill., on suspicion of driving under the influence on Oct. 17, 2005, according to documents from the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Cook County.
Wendy Leung, Staff Writer
Created: 10/20/2010 05:37:18 PM PDT
RANCHO CUCAMONGA – Trying to tap into the anti-incumbent mood, challengers in the City Council race urged residents at a candidates forum on Tuesday to vote out the current council.
Candidates urged voters to “clean house” and accused the City Council of being a “good ole boys club” at an Alta Loma Riding Club event focused on issues of the equestrian community.
October 20, 2010 5:32 PM
Natasha Lindstrom
SAN BERNARDINO • The former chief of San Bernardino County’s solid waste management division is suing the county for wrongful termination and alleging he was retaliated against for protesting corrupt acts.
Peter Wulfman, 53, claims he was forced to resign from his post on March 20 after 17 years with the county, under the threat that he would otherwise be fired that same day. He filed the wrongful termination suit Monday in San Bernardino Superior Court.
October 20th, 2010, 9:00 pm · posted by Martin Wisckol, Politics reporter
A new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California gives Jerry Brown and Barbara Boxer larger leads than other recent polls, but also continues trends of other major polls.
PPIC shows Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Brown leading Republican Meg Whitman, 44 percent to 36 percent among likely voters. Last month, PPIC had Whitman up by 1 point. RealClearPolitics.com’s aggregation of polls shows Brown taking the lead in most surveys since mid-September, and now holding an average of a 3.8-percentage point lead.
October 20, 2010
Propelled by his standing among Democrats, Latinos, women, liberals and especially moderates, Jerry Brown is leading Meg Whitman 44-36% in the latest survey by the Public Policy Institute of California, which also finds Barbara Boxer leading Carly Fiorina 43-38%.
Despite her massive spending – which is expected to reach $180 million – Republican Whitman has been unable to break away from Democrat Brown except among Republicans, conservatives and Southern Californians outside of Los Angeles.
His wife is also his confidant and advisor, raising money and managing his run for governor, campaign insiders say.
By Michael J. Mishak, Los Angeles Times
October 21, 2010
Reporting from Sacramento —
Jerry Brown was livid.
After courting a number of police unions in his bid for governor, the Democratic nominee and California attorney general had just learned that he had lost an endorsement to his Republican rival, Meg Whitman, and feared others would follow.
Fuming as he huddled with a small group of advisors in his Oakland headquarters, Brown ordered an aide to call another police union. Then Anne Gust, Brown’s wife and political confidant, stepped in.
California Watch
A Project of the Center for Investigative Reporting
Environment
October 20, 2010 | Susanne Rust
Once again the nation is watching a California environmental law, waiting to see if the vote on Proposition 23 sets the tone for other states, and the federal government, on how to wrestle with the implications and economics of climate change.
So far, voters here are skeptical about making changes. According to a poll released by the Public Policy Institute of California last night, if the election were held today, California’s anti-global warming legislation, AB 32, would remain intact.
By John Howard | 10/21/10 12:00 AM PST
Millions of dollars in campaign cash is slipping – marching – through the cracks of California’s political finance laws, as special interests unconnected to candidates buy TV time, radio spots and mailers to sway voters.
In the governor’s race alone, some $27 million has been spent thus far in the general election by politically powerful groups through so-called Independent Expenditure committees, or IEs.
By Jack Chang
jchang@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – 12:00 am | Page 1A
Top state Democrats acknowledged Wednesday that they’ll face an uphill climb to turn out voters next month given the sour national mood and a massive Republican get-out-the-vote operation financed by billionaire GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman.
California Labor Federation head Art Pulaski said the GOP’s turnout advantage could give Republican candidates an extra percentage point or two of voter support on Election Day.
PolitiCal
On politics in the Golden State
October 20, 2010 | 3:45 pm
Candidates may be running away from President Obama elsewhere, but not in California. Earlier this week, the president cut a new radio ad for Barbara Boxer. And on Friday, Obama is heading to California for an appearance to help boost the Democratic ticket, which finds itself on uncertain political footing less than two weeks before Election Day.
Published: Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – 12:00 am | Page 4A
As Capitol politicians struggle with the state budget crisis, they’ve largely ignored California’s other big deficit, which in another year will be as large as the gap in the state budget.
The Legislature’s budget analyst reported Wednesday that the deficit in the recession-battered Unemployment Insurance Fund “is projected to increase to approximately $20 billion at the end of 2011.”