Politics, Government & Business in California's Inland Empire
By Jeff Horseman | jhorseman@scng.com | The Press-Enterprise
April 5, 2018 at 12:05 pm
There appears to be little to no sentiment among Riverside or San Bernardino County supervisors to follow Orange County’s lead in joining a federal lawsuit against California over state laws intended to shield undocumented immigrants from deportation.
By Jeff Horseman / Staff Writer
Published: Dec. 12, 2016
Updated: Dec. 13, 2016 – 6:59 a.m.
In a nod to Riverside County’s ongoing financial challenges, a proposal before the county Board of Supervisors would have supervisors defer any pay raise they’re due to receive until 2019.
By Jeff Horseman / Staff Writer
Published: Dec. 7, 2016
Updated: Dec. 8, 2016 – 4:47 p.m.
Riverside County Supervisor Marion Ashley wants his peers to defer the automatic pay raises they received over the summer to show empathy with union employees, who also are being asked to forgo raises.
A proposal would begin the process of eliminating much of the agency’s authority.
Published: May 23, 2016 – Updated: 9:44 p.m.
Riverside County supervisors Marion Ashley and Kevin Jeffries are sponsoring a measure asking the Board of Supervisors to take the first steps in restructuring the March Joint Powers Authority, eliminating much of its jurisdiction.
To read article by Mark Muckenfuss in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
Published: March 11, 2016 – 05:27 p.m.
Eight Riverside County departments spent at least $1 million on overtime during fiscal 2014-15, and five of those departments have seen overtime costs rise 52 percent or more in the past five years, according to a new report from the county auditor-controller.
To read article by Jeff Horseman in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
Published: Feb. 2, 2016
Updated: Feb. 3, 2016 – 8:04 a.m.
Employee furloughs, Friday office closures and a hiring freeze are among the ideas suggested by a Riverside County supervisor Tuesday, Feb. 2 to deal with the county’s ongoing financial challenges.
To read article by Jeff Horseman in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
Published: April 16, 2015 – Updated: 4:04 p.m.
Riverside County Supervisor Marion Ashley’s chief of staff wants to succeed his boss in 2018.
To read post by Jeff Horseman in The P-E Political Empire Blog, click here.
Thursday, January 8, 2015 – 08:30 a.m.
The Boards of Supervisors for Riverside and San Bernardino Counties have selected new leadership to start off the new year.
April 28, 2014; 06:04 PM
The changing face of Riverside County is reflected in this year’s election for the county’s top elected jobs where three Latinos, including two Democrats, are challenging three white Republican incumbents.
To read story by Imran Ghori in The Press Enterprise, click here.
April 07, 2014; 11:16 AM
Rep. Mark Takano used the recently concluded “How I Met Your Mother” TV show to mock House Republicans.
On April 2, Takano, D-Riverside, took to the U.S. House of Representatives floor to stage a How-I-Met-Your-Mother-style “intervention.” Characters in the long-running CBS sitcom would stage interventions for everything from bad behavior to an ugly hat.
To read column by Jeff Horseman in The Press Enterprise, click here.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014 – 11:00 a.m.
Here’s the latest numbers from campaign finance disclosure reports filed in Riverside County this week.
March 10, 2014; 03:12 PM
There will be contested races for every Inland county supervisorial seat up for election in the June 3 primary, candidate filings show.
To read story by Jeff Horseman in The Press Enterprise, click here.
January 07, 2014; 04:48 PM
As expected, Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Stone on Tuesday, Jan. 7, was named Board of Supervisors chairman for 2014.
To read post by Jeff Horseman in The PE Political Empire Blog, click here.
January 6, 2014 by Jeff Horseman
A second candidate has filed papers to run against Riverside County Supervisor Marion Ashley.
To read story by Jeff Horseman in The PE Political Empire Blog, click here.
January 5, 2014
Tuesday, Jan. 7 is the first meeting of 2014 for the Riverside County Board of Supervisors and one of the first orders of business is to name a board chairman and vice chairman for the new year.
To read post by Jeff Horseman in The PE Political Empire Blog, click here.
November 18, 2013
Riverside County supervisors are backing Riverside City Councilman Steve Adams in his bid to unseat Rep. Mark Takano.
To read post by Jeff Horseman in The P-E Political Empire Blog, click here.
August 25, 2013; 10:01 AM
Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Stone wants to take county government on a trip to places he hopes will send him to Sacramento.
To read column by Jeff Horseman and Jim Miller in The Press Enterprise, click here.
Sunday, August 4, 2013 – 12:00 p.m.
Here’s some news of interest flowing across the transom this week. In case you missed it!
Cummings reportedly running for San Bernardino Mayor
Cliff Cummings, owner of Toyota of San Bernardino, is reportedly running for Mayor of bankrupt San Bernardino.
August 02, 2013; 06:42 PM
Two Inland congressmen are spending next week in the Holy Land.
Reps. Mark Takano, D-Riverside, and Raul Ruiz, D-Palm Desert, will be in Israel Aug. 5 through 11 as part of a tour sponsored by a foundation with ties to a pro-Israel lobbying group.
To read column by Imran Ghori and Jim Miller in The Press Enterprise, click here.
May 28, 2013; 08:31 PM
Take away their $143,000 salaries and other taxpayer-funded benefits and the Riverside County Board of Supervisors would still be a wealthy lot.
To read story by Jeff Horseman in The Press Enterprise, click here.
THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE
February 22, 2013; 07:15 PM
You lead a party that picks up four competitive seats in the November election. And for your labors you’re tossed four months later?
To read column by Jeff Horseman, David Olson and Jim Miller in The Press Enterprise, click here.
BY JEFF HORSEMAN
STAFF WRITER
jhorseman@pe.com
Published: 31 July 2012 06:25 PM
Senior staff in the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, district attorney’s office and other departments will get raises to prevent them from earning less than the people they supervise.
The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, July 31, voted unanimously to approve the raises, which will cost about $1.6 million this fiscal year. The raises will be absorbed in the current budget and won’t require additional spending.
BY JEFF HORSEMAN
STAFF WRITER
jhorseman@pe.com
Published: 26 July 2012 07:31 PM
A rift has developed between two Riverside County supervisors over re-submitted plans for the Liberty Quarry.
Supervisor John Benoit, who represents desert cities, is supporting efforts to fast track plans for the Temecula-area open pit gravel mine.
THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE
Published: 20 July 2012 07:26 PM
It’s been a grim couple of weeks for San Bernardino as city officials decided to declare a fiscal emergency and file for bankruptcy due to a cash-flow crisis and budget deficit. Still, even amid serious discussions, the council found a few moments to debate 19th Century military history at its July 10 meeting.
Echoing a phrase used by one public speaker, Councilman Fred Shorett suggested that this could be a “Waterloo opportunity” allowing the city to get its financial house in order.
BY IMRAN GHORI
STAFF WRITER
ighori@pe.com
Published: 17 July 2012 06:15 PM
A banking industry group continued to press its opposition to a proposal to use eminent domain to seize underwater mortgages, claiming the tactic would not withstand legal scrutiny and could end up costing San Bernardino County.
The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, a Wall Street trade group, released a legal memo from its law firm on Tuesday, July 17, that attacked the proposal as impermissible under the federal and state constitutions and the county charter.
BY JEFF HORSEMAN
STAFF WRITER
jhorseman@pe.com
Published: 07 July 2012 06:12 PM
Pay raises for pension changes. To the Riverside County Board of Supervisors, it’s a fair — if costly — trade.
To get the county’s labor unions to agree to an overhaul of the public employee pension system, supervisors authorized more than $730 million in raises over the next four years. In exchange, officials expect savings of $856 million over the next 10 years as new employees earn lesser pensions and current workers pay more toward their retirement.
BY JEFF HORSEMAN
STAFF WRITER
jhorseman@pe.com
Published: 26 June 2012 04:36 PM
Changes to Riverside County’s public pension system should save $856 million over 10 years and after that, the system’s assets might cover its billions of dollars in liabilities, according to county officials.
The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, June 26, received an annual report from the Pension Advisory Review Committee, a 9-year-old panel consisting of Treasurer/Tax Collector Don Kent, finance chief Ed Corser and Human Resources Director Barbara Olivier.
BY JEFF HORSEMAN
STAFF WRITER
jhorseman@pe.com
Published: 19 June 2012 09:17 PM
After months of sometimes rocky talks with organized labor, Riverside County supervisors moved to reduce county pensions for new employees despite concerns from the sheriff, who wanted more time to consider how those changes would affect his ability to recruit and retain deputies.
The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, June 19, voted 4-0 with John Benoit absent to submit an amendment to the county’s contract with the California Public Employees’ Retirement System. The amendment allows for reduced pension benefits for newly hired employees and deputies.
BY JEFF HORSEMAN
STAFF WRITER
jhorseman@pe.com
Published: 04 June 2012 07:16 PM
Riverside County’s sheriff and one of the county’s largest unions have joined other critics — including most county supervisors — in attacking a plan to raise elected leaders’ pay amid ongoing layoffs.
BY ALICIA ROBINSON
STAFF WRITER
arobinson@pe.com
Published: 01 June 2012 11:21 PM
Though Riverside County is in the midst of laying off nearly 230 employees to balance its budget, its supervisors are poised to consider giving county elected officials salary hikes of more than 25 percent over the next three years.
BY DUG BEGLEY
STAFF WRITER
dbegley@pe.com
Published: 27 March 2012 07:49 PM
Four Riverside County cities that took a financial hit in last year’s state budget might get a helping hand from the county, supervisors said Tuesday. But California lawmakers need to solve the problem they created, supervisors added.
Menifee, Wildomar, Eastvale and Jurupa Valley all face fiscal challenges as a result of the state budget passed last summer. The four cities lost $15 million, part of $200 million in vehicle-license fee revenue that the state redirected to pay for local law-enforcement grants.
BY JEFF HORSEMAN AND DUANE W. GANG
STAFF WRITERS
jhorseman@pe.com | dgang@pe.com
Published: 16 February 2012 07:05 AM
Seven years of debate over a proposed Temecula-area rock quarry came down to a tense hearing and a swing vote as Riverside County supervisors voted 3-2 Thursday to reject one of the most divisive land-use projects in recent memory.
JEFF HORSEMAN
STAFF WRITER
jhorseman@pe.com
Published: 16 February 2012 07:05 AM
Whether a proposed Temecula-area rock quarry gets built hinges on a vote scheduled for this morning by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors.
The board will meet at 8:30 a.m. in Riverside to conclude its hearings on the Liberty Quarry, which raised questions about how to balance economic development, the environment and quality of life.
BY DUANE W. GANG AND JEFF HORSEMAN
STAFF WRITERS
dgang@pe.com | jhorseman@pe.com
Published: 11 February 2012 04:03 PM
A political rock-and-a-hard-place scenario faces Riverside County supervisors as they decide the fate of a proposed Temecula-area quarry.
Approve Liberty Quarry, and the five supervisors will anger a wide range of opponents, including a politically active Indian tribe. Deny the open-pit mine, and they risk the wrath of business groups and union members desperate for jobs.
BY DUANE W. GANG
STAFF WRITER
dgang@pe.com
Published: 10 February 2012 05:38 PM
Riverside County has reached a tentative deal with its second-largest union, less than two weeks after Service Employees International Union Local 721 held a one-day strike to push the county back to the bargaining table.
BY DUANE W. GANG AND DUG BEGLEY
STAFF WRITERS
dgang@pe.com | dbegley@pe.com
Published: 31 January 2012 09:15 AM
More than 1,000 Riverside County workers took to the streets Tuesday protesting benefit reductions and warning that additional strikes could be on the way if county officials don’t reopen contract negotiations.
The 24-hour work stoppage was expected to last until 6:59 a.m. today and marks the latest escalation between county management and the Service Employees International Union Local 721, the county’s second-largest employee group.
BY RICHARD K. De ATLEY
STAFF WRITER
rdeatley@pe.com
Published: 30 January 2012 11:33 AM
A judge Monday barred 248 health-care workers from joining a one-day strike by members of Riverside County’s second-largest union.
BY DUANE W. GANG
STAFF WRITER
dgang@pe.com
Published: 27 January 2012 08:34 PM
Riverside County will go to court Monday seeking to keep nearly 300 nurses and other health professionals from taking part in a day-long strike planned by the county’s second-largest union.
County officials this week appealed to a state labor relations board for help after the Service Employees International Union Local 721 informed officials at Riverside County Regional Medical Center that nurses planned to participate in the strike Tuesday.
BY DUANE W. GANG
STAFF WRITER
dgang@pe.com
Published: 06 January 2012 06:01 PM
In an effort to make Riverside County Regional Medical Center nursing pay more competitive, supervisors Tuesday will take up a deal to provide the hospital’s nurses with significant raises.
BY DUG BEGLEY
STAFF WRITER
dbegley@pe.com
Published: 20 December 2011 08:50 PM
Riverside County supervisors on Tuesday warily approved a four-year deal with a union covering various lawyers, setting the stage for a larger face-off with the county’s largest union next year.
BY DUANE W. GANG
STAFF WRITER
dgang@pe.com
Published: 15 November 2011 07:25 PM
Riverside County’s elected leaders and management will begin paying their own pension costs in a move designed to save money and show employees that they are willing to lead by example.
BY DUANE W. GANG
STAFF WRITER
dgang@pe.com
Published: 13 November 2011 08:20 PM
Riverside County supervisors Tuesday will take up a measure requiring all county elected officials and management to pay their own retirement contributions.
Supervisors earlier this month voted in favor of the concept but had yet to work out the details.
BY DUANE W. GANG
STAFF WRITER
dgang@pe.com
Published: 02 November 2011 10:35 AM
Riverside County is moving ahead with a plan to charge people for their jail time.
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Published: 30 October 2011 08:05 PM
The California Supreme Court felt otherwise, but part of the unsuccessful court challenge to the Citizens Redistricting Commission’s state Senate plan centered on complaints about what the maps do in San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
BY DUANE W. GANG
STAFF WRITER
dgang@pe.com
Published: 06 October 2011 06:03 PM
An estimated $80 million budget gap for next fiscal year is only the start of the challenges Riverside County supervisors face in the coming months.
Riverside County supervisors debated pension changes on Tuesday.
BY DUANE W. GANG
STAFF WRITER
dgang@pe.com
Published: 04 October 2011 09:55 PM
Riverside County supervisors said Tuesday that county employees must start contributing more toward their own retirements, a move that would translate into immediate, long-term savings for the cash-strapped county.
10:22 PM PDT on Thursday, September 22, 2011
BY DUANE W. GANG
STAFF WRITER
dgang@pe.com
PDF: Read Bill Luna’s resignation letter as Riverside County CEO
Riverside County supervisors accepted the resignation of CEO Bill Luna on Thursday and are expected to hire a search firm next week to help find a new top executive.
10:04 PM PDT on Tuesday, September 20, 2011
BY DUANE W. GANG and DUG BEGLEY
STAFF WRITERS
dgang@pe.com | dbegley@pe.com
Negotiations between labor unions and Riverside County moved from the bargaining table to the Board of Supervisors chambers Tuesday.
10:30 PM PDT on Tuesday, August 16, 2011
BY DUANE W. GANG
STAFF WRITER
dgang@pe.com
Riverside County supervisors approved new district boundaries Tuesday amid heated debate and accusations of gerrymandering between supervisors Bob Buster and John Tavaglione.
10:10 PM PDT on Tuesday, August 16, 2011
BY DUANE W. GANG
STAFF WRITER
dgang@pe.com
Riverside County officials voiced support Tuesday for a more efficient way to dispatch 911 calls and get ambulances to medical emergencies more quickly.
10:00 PM PDT on Wednesday, June 29, 2011
By DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise
Riverside County should purchase four additional ballot scanners to speed vote counting during next year’s presidential elections, the county’s top election official said.
11:03 PM PDT on Saturday, June 18, 2011
By JEFF HORSEMAN
The Press-Enterprise
Since 2001, the company proposing a quarry near Temecula has donated more than $59,000 to political candidates in Riverside County — including at least $38,000 to county supervisors who will decide if the project gets built.
10:00 PM PDT on Tuesday, June 14, 2011
By DUG BEGLEY and DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise
Determining which Riverside neighborhood will be shifted to a new supervisorial district is the only unresolved issue in redrawing Riverside County lines, officials said Tuesday.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 – 10:30 a.m.
One has to wonder why there is such a disconnect in the way San Bernardino and Riverside County governments conduct business respectively.
Riverside County seems to be able to maintain a sense of order and cohesiveness.
10:01 PM PDT on Wednesday, June 8, 2011
By DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise
Riverside County’s top executive has recommended a spending plan for next year that includes $55 million in cuts, resulting in additional layoffs and reductions in core county services.
By PE Politics
May 25, 2011 10:06 AM
Riverside County declared an impasse last week with the Riverside Sheriff’s Association and will impose contract terms on the union starting June 2.
10:00 PM PDT on Tuesday, May 24, 2011
By DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise
A Riverside County committee helping to draft new supervisorial districts will forward two proposals to the Board of Supervisors after failing Tuesday to reach agreement on how best to divide the city of Riverside.
10:00 PM PDT on Tuesday, May 24, 2011
By DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise
Riverside County supervisors Tuesday declared their support for public safety and said imposing pay cuts and pension changes on the union representing sheriff’s deputies is unfortunate but will save money and jobs.
10:48 PM PDT on Sunday, May 15, 2011
By DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise
One of Riverside County’s largest employee unions allows any member to attend contract talks, raising concerns in recent weeks from at least two supervisors that the open-door policy isn’t productive.
11:21 PM PDT on Tuesday, May 3, 2011
By DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise
Riverside County supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to put on hold a proposed regional jail in Whitewater that would have cost $300 million to build.
08:54 AM PDT on Wednesday, April 20, 2011
By DUANE W. GANG and JIM MILLER
The Press-Enterprise
Riverside County grew the fastest of any California county during the past decade, and now officials have the task of dividing 2.19 million people into five supervisorial districts.
10:00 PM PDT on Wednesday, April 6, 2011
By DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise
Riverside County supervisors Marion Ashley and John Benoit announced Wednesday that they will seek to halt planning for a regional jail in rural Whitewater.
The move marks a reversal for supervisors and comes amid growing community opposition to the jail.
10:33 PM PDT on Tuesday, March 29, 2011
By DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise
Riverside Board of Supervisors meet about county budgets
Published: 3/29/2011 07:18 PM
Riverside County’s four public-safety departments painted a bleak picture Tuesday of their finances, saying they face significant budget shortfalls for next fiscal year.
10:00 PM PDT on Tuesday, March 22, 2011
By DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise
In a 3-2 vote Tuesday, Riverside County supervisors approved a measure supporting Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to shift some state services to California’s 58 counties.
Supervisor John Tavaglione requested the resolution.
Ashley
10:00 PM PDT on Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Submitted to The Press-Enterprise
Riverside County Supervisor Marion Ashley will give a mini State of the County presentation to members and guests of the San Gorgonio Pass Republican Women at a luncheon March 23 in Banning.
10:00 PM PDT on Tuesday, March 15, 2011
By DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise
Riverside County will hold three community meetings next month to gather input from residents on how officials should redraw supervisorial district boundaries.
10:00 PM PST on Wednesday, March 9, 2011
By DUANE W. GANG and JIM MILLER
The Press-Enterprise
Thousands of Inland residents will soon have a different county supervisor to represent them.
Riverside and San Bernardino county officials must begin redrawing their district boundaries based on census 2010 data released Tuesday.
Jeffires
By PE Politics
on February 4, 2011 10:45 AM
Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries has filed paperwork to raise money for a possible candidacy for the Riverside County Board of Supervisors in 2012.
Jeffries, R-Lake Elsinore, lives in the district of Supervisor Bob Buster, who is up for re-election next year.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011 – 04:45 p.m.
Members of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors raised slightly less and spent significantly more campaign money than their San Bernardino County brethren last year.
They also reported significantly depleted warchests.
And I mean significant.
10:00 PM PST on Thursday, December 30, 2010
By DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise
The state’s new Citizens Redistricting Commission has ushered in a new era in California, heralded by supporters as a way to take politics out of the drawing of legislative and congressional boundaries.
But a political tug-of-war among elected officials could still play out at the local level next year as counties, cities and school boards redraw their own district lines.
11:05 PM PST on Sunday, December 5, 2010
By DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise
After new bids were sought in September, a contract to handle criminal defense for those who cannot afford lawyers goes before the Riverside County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.
A committee of public defenders from three Northern California counties reviewed the proposals and recommended that Riverside-based Blumenthal Law Offices receive the $8.8 million contract.
10:00 PM PST on Monday, November 29, 2010
By DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise
Special Section: Inland Wildfires
Severing ties with Cal Fire and creating an independent Riverside County fire department would increase costs by $46.6 million a year, a new report concludes.
In addition, setting up a stand-alone agency would require the county to replace three state-owned fire stations at a one-time cost of $11.9 million, the analysis found.
11:45 PM PST on Saturday, November 27, 2010
By DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise
Cash-strapped Riverside County is considering a plan to sell or lease two of its landfills in an effort to generate as much as $100 million in new revenue.
“We have to look at everything,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Marion Ashley said. “We have to figure out how to maximize our revenues.”
10:00 PM PST on Thursday, November 25, 2010
By DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise
A majority of Riverside County supervisors favor opening the recruitment for a new registrar of voters to applicants from outside the county with the hope of attracting an experienced candidate.
Ashley
10:00 PM PDT on Sunday, September 12, 2010
The Press-Enterprise
It wouldn’t involve jetting off to Cairo or Belfast, but Riverside County Supervisor Marion Ashley is cool to the idea of playing peacemaker at the county district attorney’s office.
At a recent meeting, supervisors discussed concerns raised by District Attorney-elect Paul Zellerbach that incumbent DA Rod Pacheco was not cooperating with his transition. The two fought a bitter campaign and nothing has indicated they have spoken to each other since Zellerbach defeated Pacheco in the June 8 election.
10:00 PM PDT on Tuesday, August 31, 2010
By DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise
The politics of pension reform took center stage among Riverside County supervisors Tuesday.
An invitation mailed last week to raise money to oppose the Riverside Sheriff’s Association-backed Measure L on the November ballot included the names and signatures of all five supervisors.
Ken Calvert
By PE Politics
on August 17, 2010 11:23 AM
Four out of five Riverside County supervisors recommend another term for Inland Rep. Ken Calvert.
The Corona Republican, who is seeking his 10th term in office this November, announced today that he has the backing of John F. Tavaglione, Jeff Stone, John J. Benoit and Marion Ashley. All four are registered Republicans.
09:16 PM PDT on Tuesday, August 17, 2010
By DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise
Riverside County supervisors, currently grappling with pension reforms, themselves have decades of combined service and will receive substantial retirements when they leave the board.
Supervisor Bob Buster is in his 17th year on the board and served eight years on the Riverside City Council before that.
10:56 PM PDT on Tuesday, July 13, 2010
By DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise
Riverside County supervisors voted Tuesday to purchase $650,000 worth of additional equipment designed to speed future vote-counting operations.
The recommendations came as part of a sweeping probe into how Registrar of Voters Barbara Dunmore handled the June 8 primary.
Riverside County supervisor John Tavaglione has defeated challenger Herb Higgins. Marion Ashley who ran unopposed has officially won. Supervisor John Benoit is in a tight race with Gary Jeandron.
11:04 PM PDT on Sunday, May 30, 2010
By DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise
Riverside County faces a $131.5 million budget shortfall, and supervisors are seeking deep cuts — and as many as 1,600 layoffs — to bridge the gap over the next two years.
But as they seek those reductions, the county’s three largest employee unions have made more than $450,000 in campaign donations to supervisors, candidates for the board and other elected officials who wield influence in county politics, campaign finance figures released late last week show.
10:00 PM PDT on Monday, May 17, 2010
By DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise
Three incumbent Riverside County officials face no opposition as they seek new terms in the June 8 election.
Marion Ashley is running unopposed for a third term on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors.
In getting the Riverside County Board of Supervisors to approve their massive 11,350-home Villages of Lakeview project, did the Lewis Group of Companies hang the board out to dry?
This just might be the case.
Since the project’s approval Riverside County has been slammed by three separate lawsuits filed by the City of Riverside and a combination of four environmental groups over impacts of the project.
10:00 PM PDT on Thursday, April 22, 2010
By DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise
The city of Riverside and four environmental groups sued Riverside County on Thursday, challenging its approval last month of one of the region’s largest housing developments.
The Villages of Lakeview would put 11,350 homes between Perris and San Jacinto. The project, next to the state’s San Jacinto Wildlife Area, could add more than 30,000 new residents to the region and its already clogged roadways.
By PE Politics
April 1, 2010 6:01 AM
Riverside County Supervisor Marion Ashley, Riverside City Councilman Rusty Bailey and Menifee City Councilman Scott Mann are backing U.S. Senate hopeful Carly Fiorina.
Fiorina’s campaign announced the endorsements. In a statement, Fiorina praised the three elected officials for their commitment to their communities.