By Jack Chang
jchang@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009 – 12:00 am | Page 1A

While Democrats have more than seven months left to choose their candidate for governor, one of the party’s key constituencies has already made its preference clear, at least in the all-important money race.

Unions all across the state and country have poured more than a million dollars into Attorney General Jerry Brown’s campaign coffers – even though he has yet to officially announce his candidacy.

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Josh Dulaney, Staff Writer
Created: 10/28/2009 03:40:03 PM PDT

RIALTO – Officials here hope an injection of taxpayer dollars can help prevent the city’s biggest redevelopment bet from going bust.

The City Council, acting as the Redevelopment Agency, has approved a $10.9 million interim agreement with developers while they renegotiate the price of land critical to Renaissance Rialto, a proposed mixed-use project along the 210 Freeway.

It’s a move that could eliminate funding for new projects in the foreseeable future, said Robb Steel, economic development director for the city.

“We’re buying a little bit of breathing room,” Steel said. “It’s not a situation we want to be in, obviously.”

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Posted: 10/28/2009 08:30:54 PM PDT

In these days of billion-dollar bailouts and stimulus bills, we’re often reminded that federal deficit spending has added up to a national debt of more than $11.5 trillion – or $11,500,000,000,000.

But a truer picture of the government’s finances reveals a total liability and unfunded obligation of $56.4 trillion – or $56,400,000,000,000. That’s our country’s future obligation for Medicare and Social Security benefits and other commitments that, at this rate, we can’t afford to keep.

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Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 10/28/2009 03:55:12 PM PDT

The county, at the request of Supervisor Neil Derry, will conduct a survey of other counties to see how they handle accrual of vacation time for their employees.

Derry, who is pushing for caps on vacation accrual time for high-level county employees, made the request to County Administrative Officer Mark Uffer during Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting.

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Michael J. Sorba, Staff Writer
Posted: 10/28/2009 06:55:13 PM PDT

COLTON – Unions representing city employees are expected to deliver their decisions today on a voluntary 15 percent salary cut that the city’s administration has requested from every employee.

An across-the-board pay cut is one strategy that’s needed to close a projected $5 million revenue shortfall that’s expected June 30, the close of the 2009-10 fiscal, officials say.

Tom Ramsey, Colton’s general unit representative for the San Bernardino Public Employees Association, describes the reaction from members as “total dismay to the point of futility.”

“They’re not just public employees, they’re flesh and blood people,” Ramsey said. “These folks have to provide for their families, their kids.”

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By Dale Kasler
dkasler@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009 – 12:00 am | Page 8B

CalPERS is reviewing its relationship with Apollo Management, a big private-equity firm that hired controversial placement agent Alfred Villalobos to obtain investment business from the pension fund.

CalPERS spokeswoman Pat Macht said the review began in May and isn’t tied to a separate review, begun two weeks ago, of Villalobos’ activities. Rather, the review is focusing on Apollo fund performances and other issues, she said. The Apollo investments had been doing poorly as of last spring but have rallied lately, according to CalPERS data.

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By Torey Van Oot
tvanoot@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009 – 12:00 am | Page 4A

The state’s political watchdog agency Wednesday rejected a request that it investigate the actions of two female lobbyists who allegedly engaged in affairs with ex-Assemblyman Mike Duvall.

Duvall, a married Republican, resigned last month after a tape surfaced of him boasting about sexual trysts with two women, both reportedly lobbyists.

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