Politics, Government & Business in California's Inland Empire
Thursday, November 18, 2010 – 10:30 a.m.
The plot thickens in the investigation by the U.S. department of Justice into alleged wrongdoing at San Bernardino County-owned and operated Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC).
It seems ARMC employees maintained files folders on various current and former county officials. Some folders were labeled with the officials name and the words “Do Not Bill”.
Thursday, November 18, 2010 – 10:00 a.m.
Looks like Riverside County District Attorney Rod Pacheco is still taking his loss to Superior Court Judge Paul Zellerbach pretty hard.
Pacheco is reportedly dragging anyone, who he believes had a hand in his electoral defeat, before a grand jury.
Benoit
10:00 PM PST on Wednesday, November 17, 2010
By DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise
Riverside County district attorney’s investigators have called Supervisor John Benoit to testify before a grand jury.
Benoit confirmed Tuesday that he received the subpoena last week and is scheduled to appear before the panel in Riverside on Friday morning.
Office of lawyer in Rialto scandal hit
Josh Dulaney, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/17/2010 04:24:12 PM PST
The attorney for a Rialto strip club worker at the center of an alleged sex scandal involving Rialto police officers said Wednesday her office was broken into last weekend.
Brian Charles, Staff Writer
Created: 11/17/2010 08:24:29 PM PST
While 8 million Californians voted in the state’s attorney general’s race, about 300 Los Angeles County election workers will decide the fate of a race “too close to call.”
That’s if the candidates, Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley and San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, don’t end up settling the election in court.
Victorville council votes for Rothschild’s proposal
November 18, 2010 8:33 AM
Natasha Lindstrom
VICTORVILLE • In a controversial move, the City Council has backed away from a longstanding agreement on how tax revenues are re-invested in Southern California Logistics Airport — setting the stage for a looming showdown over Victorville’s control of the airport.
On a 3-2 vote — with Councilmen Ryan McEachron and Rudy Cabriales opposing — City Council agreed Tuesday to pledge only 50 percent of the city’s tax increment generated by businesses within the Victor Valley Economic Development Authority project area back to SCLA when it comes to future bonding. Previously Victorville had dedicated 100 percent of that tax revenue to SCLA projects.
10:00 PM PST on Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Cassie Macduff
The California Public Records Act has long been a journalist’s best friend.
It spells out which government documents are open to the public and how government officials are to supply them on request.
November 17, 2010 5:08 PM
Beau Yarbrough
VICTORVILLE • The long-in-coming trial of former Hesperia mayor Tad Honeycutt and Steven Cox will likely be pushed back even further, after the untimely death of Cox’s defense attorney.
San Bernardino County Public Defender Earl Wade Shinder, 60, who represented Cox, died on Sunday.
By Peter Hecht
phecht@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010 – 12:00 am | Page 1A
Last Modified: Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010 – 8:09 am
As Steve Cooley and Kamala Harris sweat out the ballot counting to determine California’s next attorney general, perhaps no one is more anxious than advocates for medical marijuana shops.
Within the state medical marijuana industry, Cooley, the Los Angeles County district attorney, is widely perceived as pot persona non grata.
Either Kamala Harris or Steve Cooley will hold the state’s highest legal office.
By ALEXANDER BURNS | 11/18/10 4:41 AM EST
With virtually every consequential Senate and gubernatorial election settled and only a few House races still too close to call, the nation’s most important unresolved race may be a down-ballot election in California — a contest for attorney general that will give one party control of a powerful regulatory office that’s also a prime political steppingstone.
By Malcolm Maclachlan | 11/18/10 12:00 AM PST
The Nov. 2 election set new spending records again in California, with the state’s two political watchdog agencies scrambling to keep track of hundreds of candidates and committees — and levying fines on them when they don’t comply.
Both the secretary of state’s office and the Fair Political Practices Commission have been trying to collect outstanding fines in recent months. But filers still owe $2.3 million, and it appears likely that much of that money will never be collected.
Published: Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010 – 12:00 am | Page 3A
It’s not exactly Mega Millions or even Fantasy Five, but it will be a lottery-type atmosphere today when the first eight members of California’s new redistricting commission are chosen.
By Susan Ferriss
sferriss@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010 – 12:00 am | Page 3A
SAN JOSE – Defeated Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman agreed to pay her former undocumented maid $5,500 Wednesday to settle a dispute that erupted during the heat of the fall campaign.
Nicky Diaz Santillan and Gloria Allred, her famous Los Angeles attorney, said they were pleased with the agreement.
November 18, 2010
By Ed Mendel
The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office, not known for rosey scenarios, forecasts a moderate increase in annual state payments to CalPERS during the next five years, mainly due to cost-cutting pension agreements negotiated with labor unions.
State payments to the California Public Employees Retirement System are expected to increase from $3.6 billion this year to $3.9 billion in fiscal 2015-16, according to a state budget “fiscal outlook” from Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor.
By Jon Ortiz
jortiz@sacbee.com The Sacramento Bee
Published: Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010 – 12:00 am | Page 3A
Last Modified: Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010 – 6:18 am
More state workers have drawn their first retirement checks this year than did in all of 2009.
There are plenty of reasons, but first let’s set the scene with a few numbers.