Politics, Government & Business in California's Inland Empire
Mitzelfelt: Problem boils down to accountability, communication
March 18, 2011 9:11 AM
Natasha Lindstrom
VICTORVILLE • San Bernardino County 1st District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt has joined Hesperia in demanding details on how Victorville has been handling a regional redevelopment agency’s more than $300 million in outstanding debt.
Blewett
March 18, 2011 8:47 AM
Natasha Lindstrom
Concerned about an alleged conflict of interest, Hesperia Mayor Pro Tem Russ Blewett has called for replacing the attorney of a regional redevelopment group who also serves as Victorville’s city attorney.
10:00 PM PDT on Thursday, March 17, 2011
By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise
A radio broadcaster seeking to build an antenna tower near Wildwood Canyon State Park in Oak Glen is revising the project once again in hopes of winning approval from San Bernardino County.
On Thursday, the county planning commission continued a hearing on the proposal until May 5 at the request of Lazer Broadcasting, Inc.
11:33 PM PDT on Thursday, March 17, 2011
By SANDRA STOKLEY
The Press-Enterprise
The Jurupa Valley city council-elect met for the first time on March 17.
Published: 3/17/2011 11:13 PM
Mark that first and third Thursday of the month on the calendar.
The soon-to-be-city of Jurupa Valley’s City Council-elect voted Thursday night to hold its regularly scheduled meetings at 7 p.m. in the board room of the Jurupa Unified School District.
By Ryan Hagen Staff Writer
Posted: 03/17/2011 05:26:23 PM PDT
COLTON – No firefighters will report to Fire Station 213 today or Saturday.
The station, which serves south Colton, is the first to participate in rolling brownouts that will leave each of Colton’s four fire stations – except the Central Station on E Street – closed for two days out of every six.
By Joe Nelson Staff Writer
Posted: 03/17/2011 07:03:32 PM PDT
YUCCA VALLEY – San Bernardino County prosecutors have determined that the Bighorn-Desert View Water Agency violated the state’s open meeting law when a pay raise and other perks for its general manager were approved without first informing the public.
It is the second time in less than four years that the water board, according to county prosecutors, has violated the Brown Act.
By Jim Steinberg Staff Writer
Created: 03/17/2011 05:14:02 PM PDT
FONTANA – The school board will hold a public hearing Monday on the possibility of developing an emergency educational tax to help soften the effects of the crisis in education.
City could put Green Tree, other assets on market to plug deficit
March 17, 2011 5:19 PM
Brooke Edwards
VICTORVILLE • Selling off Green Tree Golf Course and its new pricey clubhouse, unloading land at Southern California Logistics Airport and the city’s struggling wastewater treatment plant were all proposed as options to help close the $8.4 million budget deficit Victorville is facing this summer.
Rothschild
March 17, 2011 9:02 AM
Brooke Edwards
VICTORVILLE • In light of a looming $8.4 million budget deficit, the City Council appears poised to reverse its decision to spend more than $1 million putting additional deputies back on city streets.
March 17, 2011 8:49 AM
BEAU YARBROUGH AND BROOKE EDWARDS, Staff Writers
Victorville and Hesperia have joined the ranks of California cities scrambling to shift assets from their redevelopment agencies to city control.
The moves come in advance of Gov. Jerry Brown’s threatened shutdown of the redevelopment agency system, which he says will save the cash-strapped state money and give local agencies more money in the long run.
11:05 PM PDT on Thursday, March 17, 2011
By BRIAN ROKOS
The Press-Enterprise
Former Corona City Councilman and Nature’s Recipe dog food founder Jeff Bennett pleaded guilty Thursday to making a false statement to FBI agents, court documents say.
Haynes
10:00 PM PDT on Thursday, March 17, 2011
By JIM MILLER
Sacramento Bureau
SACRAMENTO – Former Inland lawmaker Ray Haynes has jumped into the contest to be the next treasurer of the California Republican Party, which gathers here this weekend for its spring convention.
Spending on libraries, higher ed, parks and programs for the poor is reduced while Gov. Jerry Brown searches for four Republicans to vote for his most politically difficult proposals.
By Shane Goldmacher, Los Angeles Times
March 18, 2011
Reporting from Sacramento — State lawmakers continued chopping at the state’s deficit Thursday, approving more cuts in government services as Gov. Jerry Brown pressured legislators to resolve the most contentious budget issues: taxes and a plan to abolish redevelopment agencies.
March 18, 2011
By Ed Mendel
Actuaries got another rebuff this week when the labor-friendly CalPERS board voted to leave its earnings forecast unchanged, much like a CalSTRS board action in December that did not lower its forecast as far as actuaries recommended.
Republicans are waging a cost-cutting campaign in various states and have targeted taxpayer-funded benefits. Democrats, however, are reluctant to give up too much in negotiations over public pensions because of labor’s influence in California politics.
By Anthony York, Los Angeles Times
March 18, 2011
Reporting from Sacramento — Government pensions are being scaled back across the nation, but labor unions in California are struggling to fortify the state’s position as a bulwark for generous retirement benefits.
At the party’s convention this weekend, bosses will attempt to curb the effect of the ‘top-two’ voting system passed by voters last year and maintain their influence over candidates.
By Michael J. Mishak, Los Angeles Times
March 18, 2011
Reporting from Sacramento — The major political parties are scrambling to blunt the effect of the “top-two” voting system that Californians approved at the ballot last year.
L.A. County Judge Ralph W. Dau, in a tentative ruling, said lawmakers cannot be sued for passing ordinances that award them high salaries. The ruling has no effect on the criminal case against current and former city officials.
By Corina Knoll, Los Angeles Times
March 18, 2011
A Los Angeles County judge on Thursday dealt a potentially lethal blow to a far-reaching civil lawsuit the attorney general filed last year as part of an effort to recover money from eight Bell city officials who drew some of the highest municipal salaries in the state.