Politics, Government & Business in California's Inland Empire
Friday, November 30, 2012 – 08:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, November 30, 2012 – 09:40 a.m.
Last Tuesday’s events at a regular meeting of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors was the first opportunity to shed light on a glaring issue facing county leaders, newly-elected Third District Supervisor James C. Ramos, and voters.
Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/29/2012 08:07:12 PM PST
Special Section: San Bernardino
SAN BERNARDINO – In a city where nearly every important decision divides officials into two camps, one goal has the passionate support of nearly every policy-maker: Get the court to approve bankruptcy protection.
Jim Steinberg,Staff Writer
Posted: 11/29/2012 07:56:12 PM PST
SAN BERNARDINO – Many described him as the “hardest working attorney” they had ever known.
He was a legend in redevelopment law, they said, and he astounded others in his total recall of events that happened many years ago.
Published: Nov. 29, 2012 Updated: 6:26 p.m.
By BRIAN JOSEPH / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Same-sex marriage could be legal in California by the end of Friday.
Or the legal wrangling over Proposition 8 could continue for several more months — or even longer.
PolitiCal
On politics in the Golden State
By Anthony York
November 29, 2012 | 11:46 am
A state lawmaker said Thursday he wants voters to alter Proposition 13 to make it easier to pass local taxes for schools.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Friday, Nov. 30, 2012 – 12:00 am | Page 3A
This month’s election not only bolstered Democrats’ total control of California’s politics but also tightened the grip of party leaders who will never see their 70th birthdays again.
By Marc Lifsher, Los Angeles Times
November 29, 2012, 7:30 p.m.
SACRAMENTO — Almost 5 million Southern California Edison Co. customers in hundreds of cities and communities across the southern, central and coastal parts of the state will be hit with higher electric bills early next year and bigger hikes in each of the following two years.
6:14 PM, Nov 29, 2012 • By FRED BARNES
Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, says he “burst into laughter” Thursday when Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner outlined the administration proposal for averting the fiscal cliff. He wasn’t trying to embarrass Geithner, McConnell says, only responding candidly to his one-sided plan, explicit on tax increases, vague on spending cuts.
By Tim Reid and Peter Henderson
LOS ANGELES | Wed Nov 28, 2012 4:31am EST
(Reuters) – America’s biggest public pension moved aggressively against the bankrupt city of San Bernardino, California, on Tuesday night over the city’s decision to halt payments to the fund.
Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
By Torey Van Oot
November 28, 2012
A conservative state legislator who is a former member of the anti-illegal immigration Minuteman Project is considering a run for California governor.
Kathleen Pender
Published 10:54 p.m., Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Talk about a hard landing: About 2 million Americans, including 400,000 in California, will abruptly lose their unemployment benefits after December unless Congress votes to continue federal funding for extended benefits.
By Ricardo Lopez
November 28, 2012, 2:04 p.m.
The threat of the looming “fiscal cliff” is expected to temper economic growth in the U.S., according to a report released by Chapman University economists Wednesday.
Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
By Torey Van Oot
November 28, 2012
U.S. District Judge Kimberly Mueller today ordered Kinde Durkee to serve eight years in prison for what has been called California’s biggest case of campaign treasurer fraud.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012 – 11:00 a.m.
Is San Bernardino, California on the verge of financial collapse?
It sure looks that way!
The city appears to be unable to pay its bills without affecting its ability to make current payroll. City Attorney James Penman said as much in a story published in the Wednesday edition of The Sun newspaper.
Wednesday, October 28, 2012 – 10:00 a.m.
The years long saga over the installation of a Spanish-language radio tower in an unincorporated area adjacent to the city of Yucaipa is finally over.
Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/27/2012 06:35:00 PM PST
SAN BERNARDINO – The deferred payments to CalPERS and others that make up more than half of the savings in the pendency plan the City Council passed Monday will be paid over a number of years without further cuts being required, officials said Tuesday.
At least that’s the plan.
Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/27/2012 07:24:41 PM PST
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday authorized County Counsel to sue the city of San Bernardino for $1.5 million in unpaid landfill service fees.
November 27, 2012 – 04:35 PM
Roughly 600 Riverside County employees could get annual raises for stellar work – or pay cuts for poor work — as part of a pay-for-performance plan approved by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Nov. 27.
To read story by Jeff Horseman in The Press Enterprise, click here.
November 27, 2012 – 05:47 PM
Nearly a year after Riverside’s redevelopment agency was dissolved, and after several months of hearing no objection from state officials, city leaders are again finding millions of dollars in planned projects and previous loans up in the air.
To read story by Alicia Robinson in The Press Enterprise, click here.
November 27, 2012; 05:50 PM
Capping a long-running battle between open-space advocates and a local broadcaster, San Bernardino County supervisors voted Tuesday, Nov. 27, to allow a radio tower to be built near Wildwood Canyon Park in Oak Glen.
To read story by Imran Ghori in The Press Enterprise, click here.
November 27, 2012; 05:53 PM
SACRAMENTO – An expensive Republican effort to sign up voters in western Riverside County got little bang for its buck, with GOP candidates’ share of the vote trailing party registration in dozens of precincts across the region, final results show.
To read story by Jim Miller in The Press Enterprise, click here.
Andrew Edwards, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/28/2012 01:03:57 AM PST
Updated: 11/28/2012 01:18:37 AM PST
Elections officials have nearly completed their tallies of the votes cast in the General Election, and the numbers show a notable drop-off in voter turnout from the previous presidential election.
By Torey Van Oot
tvanoot@sacbee.com
Published: Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012 – 12:00 am | Page 4A
Last Modified: Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012 – 7:54 am
A new court filing suggests that bad business practices and an inability to confront underperforming employees and nonpaying clients sparked the most extensive campaign treasurer fraud in the history of California.
California’s largest for-profit health insurer proposes an average rate hike of 18%, but some Anthem customers may see increase of as much as 25% in February.
By Chad Terhune, Los Angeles Times
November 28, 2012
California’s largest for-profit health insurer, Anthem Blue Cross, is seeking to raise rates an average of 18% for more than 630,000 individual policyholders, drawing scrutiny from regulators and the ire of consumers already struggling with soaring premiums.
San Bernardino Bankruptcy
Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/26/2012 05:04:27 PM PST
Published: 26 November 2012 – 07:10 PM
The San Bernardino City Council adopted an austerity spending plan on a 5-2 vote Monday, Nov. 26, after an unusual show of unity by the mayor and city attorney and an impassioned argument against the document by Councilman Chas Kelley.
To read story by Jan Sears in The Press Enterprise, click here.
Sandra Emerson, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/26/2012 09:25:43 PM PST
Updated: 11/26/2012 11:05:22 PM PST
UPLAND – The City Council on Monday gave City Manager Stephen Dunn authorization to move forward on researching several long term solutions to reign in the city’s budget.
Published: 26 November 2012 – 02:14 PM
Riverside County was the last in California to finish its election night vote count. But it will certify its results eight days ahead of a state deadline.
To read story by Jeff Horseman in The Press Enterprise, click here.
CREDIT MARKETS
November 26, 2012, 7:44 p.m. ET
By KELLY NOLAN
California has long ranked second only to Illinois in the dubious honor of being the least-loved state among municipal-bond investors.
But since Election Day, some investors have had a change of heart.
By Patrick McGreevy, Los Angeles Times
November 26, 2012, 7:14 p.m.
SACRAMENTO — Federal prosecutors recommended Monday that former campaign treasurer Kinde Durkee — who pleaded guilty earlier this year to mail fraud involving the theft of more than $7 million from her clients — be sentenced to about eight years in prison.
By Phil Willon
November 26, 2012 | 6:30 pm
The City Council of San Bernardino, which is in bankruptcy and facing a $45.8-million budget shortfall, on Monday voted to slash more than $26 million in spending and freeze debt payments as the financially troubled city struggles to stay afloat.
Monday, November 26, 2012 – 09:45 a.m.
San Bernardino County Fifth District Supervisor Josie Gonzales has come up with a good idea for voters to consider.
Special Report
Tim Reid, Cezary Podkul and Ryan McNeill, Reuters
Posted: 11/25/2012 04:49:36 PM PST
SAN BERNARDINO – In 2009, police patrol Lt. Richard Taack retired at age 59 after 37 years of service.
He took home $389,727 that year, including $194,820 in unused sick time and $33,721 for unused vacation time, according to city payroll records.
Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/25/2012 01:08:11 PM PST
RIALTO – The City Council may declare a fiscal emergency Tuesday in order to ask voters to extend a tax on utility use that officials say is necessary to prevent severe cuts in public safety and other city services.
Neil Nisperos, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/25/2012 06:13:06 AM PST
Updated: 11/25/2012 05:35:44 PM PST
RANCHO CUCAMONGA – Voters elected to change the makeup of their City Council with the addition of advertising executive Marc Steinorth.
Steinorth is scheduled to be sworn on Dec. 5, along with incumbent Sam Spagnolo, who earned 21 percent of the vote.
Sandra Emerson, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/25/2012 06:13:04 AM PST
Updated: 11/25/2012 05:33:37 PM PST
UPLAND – City Manager Stephen Dunn will re-present his recommendations for long-term savings to the City Council during their meeting on Monday night.
Dunn was asked by the council during a special meeting earlier this month to include cost estimates for his long-term recommendations to save $2 million in the budget annually.
Andrew Edwards, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/25/2012 06:12:56 AM PST
Updated: 11/25/2012 05:37:58 PM PST
State Senate Republican leader Bob Dutton, defeated Nov. 6 in his run for Congress, says he plans to remain active in Inland Empire affairs while making a switch from the public to private sector.
Rep. Gary Miller, a fellow Republican, was the victor in the race to represent the new 31st Congressional District.
By Evan Halper, Los Angeles Times
November 25, 2012, 5:45 p.m.
SACRAMENTO — For the last couple of years, some of the state’s most influential business titans and elder statesmen have taken time off to grapple with the mess in Sacramento.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Monday, Nov. 26, 2012 – 12:00 am | Page 3A
So now we know. When the Legislature reconvenes next month for brief organizational sessions, it will have historic Democratic supermajorities – 54 Assembly members and 29 senators.
By Ed Mendel
Monday, November 26, 2012
More money for the underfunded California State Teachers Retirement System may be considered by the Legislature next year, thanks to new attention from lawmakers and a state budget deficit narrowed by a voter-approved tax increase this month.
Published: 21 November 2012 – 06:24 PM
Incoming Riverside Mayor William “Rusty” Bailey, who will be sworn in Dec. 11, has picked some members of his staff.
So far, the lineup resembles that of outgoing Mayor Ron Loveridge, who is retiring after five terms as mayor.
To read story by Alicia Robinson in The Press Enterprise, click here.
Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/24/2012 05:21:29 PM PST
On Dec. 4, once James Ramos and Robert Lovingood are sworn in as San Bernardino County’s new 3rd and 1st district supervisors, the board will begin discussing the appointment of a new sheriff.
City Council approves terms of Foxborough power plant settlement
November 24, 2012 12:24 PM
Brooke Edwards Staggs, City Editor
VICTORVILLE • In roughly two months, Victorville’s debt will drop by $54 million.
The City Council on Tuesday night approved terms of a settlement agreement with Carter & Burgess, designer of the failed Foxborough power plant.
By Michael J. Mishak, Los Angeles Times
November 24, 2012, 8:07 p.m.
SACRAMENTO — Having won a coveted two-thirds supermajority in the Legislature for the first time in more than a century, California Democrats now face the temptations of one-party government — and the perils that come with it.
Saturday, November 24, 2012 – 10:45 a.m.
There’s some creative thinking going on in the city of Redlands these days.
The financially-strapped city is looking for revenue generators and believes it’s found one.
Published: 23 November 2012 – 03:25 PM
The Nov. 6 election is only a few weeks in the rearview mirror, but some Inland politicos already are looking ahead to 2014 and beyond.
To read column by Jim Miller and Imran Ghori in The Press Enterprise, click here.
Published: 23 November 2012 – 04:29 PM
WASHINGTON — With the nation careening toward the edge of a “fiscal cliff,” congressional Republicans remain at odds with President Barack Obama about how to stop automatic tax hikes and massive federal spending cuts from taking effect at the start of 2013.
To read story by Ben Goad in The Press Enterprise, click here.
Friday, November 23, 2012 – 10:00 a.m.
Here’s some news of interest flowing across the transom this Friday morning.
Union forces Hostess Brands into liquidation
The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco and Grain Millers Union had the final say at the end of this sad chapter at Hostess Brands.
Friday, November 23, 2012 – 09:30 a.m.
Sources say there’s some unhappy campers in the San Bernardino County Republican Central Committee these days.
By John Longville
Posted: 11/23/2012 08:29:58 AM PST
Many of my Republican friends have been embarrassed by Mitt Romney’s graceless comments in a telephone conference call with major donors following his defeat earlier this month. But last Sunday’s “Point of View” column by about-to-be-former Rep. Joe Baca reveals that we Inland Empire Democrats have a bigger frog in our smaller pond.
Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/22/2012 10:18:31 PM PST
A legal settlement with an engineering company has made the city of Victorville $54 million richer, but the city has a ways to go before its financial woes are resolved, City Manager Doug Robertson said.
Lori Fowler, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/22/2012 04:23:09 PM PST
Updated: 11/23/2012 12:47:00 AM PST
The Los Angeles Superior Court recently announced plans to cut spending by $30 million this fiscal year – the most significant reduction of services in its history.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Friday, Nov. 23, 2012 – 12:00 am | Page 3A
Back in the day, when California was a purple state whose major offices could be won by either party, Republicans loved “the fishhook.”
By Chris Megerian, Los Angeles Times
November 23, 2012
SACRAMENTO — Just as California’s finances seem to be getting back on track, experts warn that the federal budget standoff could delay the state’s economic recovery and cost it $11 billion in tax revenues.
By Jon Ortiz
jortiz@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012 – 12:00 am | Page 3A
After California voters embraced Gov. Jerry Brown’s Proposition 30 tax hike, this column received a half-dozen phone calls from state workers asking essentially the same question: “What are the odds I’ll get a raise?”
November 22nd, 2012, 10:18 am
Posted by Ronald Campbell
Most public workers have pensions. Most private workers do not.
But data analyzed by the Register shows that the prospects for private workers receiving a pension have gotten worse just in the past few years.
Thursday, November 22, 2012 – 10:40 a.m.
Happy Thanksgiving from InlandPolitics.com.
Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/21/2012 06:22:17 PM PST
SAN BERNARDINO – With only days left until a City Council meeting some are treating as a deadline to pass a budget for the next 18 months that must be presented to bankruptcy court, council members have been meeting with administrators to fine-tune the cuts, but they expect passage Monday.
Published: 21 November 2012 – 03:50 PM
A long-running battle over a proposed radio tower near Wildwood Canyon Park in Oak Glen will go before the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Nov. 27, but opponents are not happy with the timing of the hearing.
To read story by Imran Ghori in The Press Enterprise, click here.
Published: 21 November 2012 – 03:40 PM
Riverside County supervisors are praising Registrar of Voters Kari Verjil and said she was not at fault for what critics say is the sluggish pace of vote-counting following the Nov. 6 election.
To read story by Jeff Horseman in The Press Enterprise, click here.
By Patrick McGreevy, Los Angeles Times
November 22, 2012
SACRAMENTO — The day after being elected to the state Assembly, several incoming lawmakers were in AT&T’s luxury suite at the Sacramento sports arena, watching the Kings with the company’s top Capitol executive.
By Ronald D. White
November 21, 2012, 12:51 p.m.
How bad was California’s record gasoline price spike last month?
So bad that even after falling by 89.9 cents a gallon from the record $4.671 set on Oct. 9, the state’s average is still at a record level one day before the start of the long Thanksgiving weekend.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 – 09:00 a.m.
The elected leaders if San Bernardino, California still just don’t seem to get it!
The city is broke.
Josh Dulaney, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/20/2012 10:54:58 PM PST
RIALTO – Severe cuts in public safety and other city services can be expected if voters here don’t approve an extension of the utility-users tax before it sunsets in June.
Published: 20 November 2012 – 10:00 PM
A nearly $8 per month trash rate increase spread over three years was approved by the City Council on Tuesday, Nov. 20, with the revenue designated to help repair the city’s dilapidated streets.
To read story by Jan Sears in The Press Enterprise, click here.
Administrator’s Note: Even though this article focuses on out-of-area officials, it still raises one question. Why weren’t they charged with felonies as people here in San Bernardino County were? The article exposes a sharp contrast in tactics, especially when politics and revenge are involved.
Money & Politics | Daily Report
November 21, 2012 | Lance Williams
Two San Joaquin Valley lawmakers have been accused of laundering $40,000 in a scheme to dodge California’s tough limits on political contributions.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012 – 12:00 am | Page 3A
The public employee pension reform plan enacted by the Legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown this year was minimalism.
They did just enough to say that they did something, believing that failure to do something about soaring pension costs would adversely affect Proposition 30, the tax increase measure that they wanted voters to enact.
50.50% 49.50%
Tuesday, November 20, 2012 – 10:50 a.m.
State Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries has defeated veteran Riverside County First District Supervisor Bob Buster in a very close race.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012 – 10:30 a.m.
Sources report incoming San Bernardino County Third District Supervisor James Ramos has selected Conservative Republican and former State Assembly Candidate Phil Paule as his chief of staff.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012 – 12:01 a.m.
It took bankruptcy filings by the California cities of Stockton and San Bernardino to shed light on just how much a cities solvency, or better yet, insolvency, can strip away the gold plating from public pensions.
Published: 19 November 2012 – 06:57 PM
Riverside County’s revenues appear stable, but its public hospital is facing a possible $14 million to $36 million deficit and future budgets will have to absorb new labor and jail costs amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars, according to a county report.
To read story by Jeff Horseman in The Press Enterprise, click here.
Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/19/2012 09:02:37 PM PST
SAN BERNARDINO – Department heads including the police and fire chiefs gave their approval to a budget including significant cuts Monday, though the City Council delayed a decision until the following Monday.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2012 – 12:00 am | Page 3A
Every California election is customarily followed by journalistic and academic seminars in which campaign strategies are dissected, pre-election polls are regurgitated, and pundits crow about successes and confess failures in predicting outcomes.
By Tiffany Hsu, Los Angeles Times
November 20, 2012
Twinkies may live on after all.
Bankrupt Hostess Brands Inc. and its striking union agreed to enter into mediation to try to resolve their differences, putting the baking company’s planned liquidation on hold for now.
By Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times
November 20, 2012, 4:08 a.m.
Orange County was once an instant synonym for Republican power, and the GOP’s dominance looked impregnable. Now, battered by the recent election results and dismayed by the slow, steady decline in party registration, Republicans here are struggling to craft a new strategy.
Monday, October 19, 2012 – 10:00 a.m.
Here’s a recap of news of interest flowing across the transom this past week.
Market skid continued on
The Dow Jones Industrial Average skid of more than 1,000 points continued last week. Most analysts expect a bumpy road ahead as negotiations over avoiding deep federal budget cuts try and get off the ground.
November 17, 2012 2:22 PM
Brooke Edwards Staggs, City Editor
VICTORVILLE • It’s been more than two years since the Securities and Exchange Commission first subpoenaed Victorville, requesting documentation on how the city has spent $480 million in bond funds over the last decade.
By John Howard | 11/19/12 5:00 AM PST
Months before California voters approved new taxes in the Nov. 6 election, accounting practices in the state budget were changed – changes that ultimately could make it much harder to define just how much money the state has taken in or is likely to get.
By Ed Mendel
Monday, October 199, 2012
The CalPERS board may make it more costly for struggling local governments to close their pension plans.
Published: Nov. 16, 2012 Updated: 4:44 p.m.
By BRIAN JOSEPH / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
SACRAMENTO – California enjoys a reputation as one of the most liberal states in the nation. And yet, on Election Night, when voters for the first time in American history approved gay marriage and recreational marijuana use, it was in Washington, Colorado and Maine – not California.
By Alejandro Lazo and E. Scott Reckard, Los Angeles Times
November 19, 2012
Big banks are giving billions of dollars to distressed California homeowners through a landmark mortgage settlement — but mostly to get people out of their homes rather than help them stay.
Published: 16 November 2012 – 07:21 PM
San Bernardino Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Josie Gonzales said she plans to ask her fellow supervisors to act quickly to fill the position vacated by retiring Sheriff Rod Hoops.
To read story by Imran Ghori in The Press Enterprise, click here.
Toni Momberger, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/16/2012 06:34:15 PM PST
Foreclosures, which for years have been synonymous with the Inland Empire, are becoming less of a presence in the region’s housing market.
Andrew Edwards, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/18/2012 06:09:37 AM PST
Updated: 11/18/2012 02:38:24 PM PST
Rep. Gary Miller said he believes Congress can avert the “fiscal cliff” without new taxes or defense cuts.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012 – 12:00 am | Page 3A
About a quarter-century ago, I wrote a book about California’s social, economic, demographic and political evolution and quoted a couple of academics as predicting “the possible emerging of a two-tier economy.”