Politics, Government & Business in California's Inland Empire
July 12, 2014
No, this is not another opinion as to whether “comprehensive immigration reform” will be passed this year. While we thought that the defeat of Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor in his reelection primary put the final nail in the coffin for this year, other immigration issues have now further embalmed and then cremated the body of any immigration reform legislation, perhaps in perpetuity.
By Neil Nisperos, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Posted: 07/11/14, 9:44 PM PDT | Updated: 25 secs ago
The crisis involving tens of thousands of migrant young people and mothers with children from Central America crossing over the border into the United States has provided a source of widely differing views among the candidates running for the 31st Congressional District in November.
By Jeremy B. White
jwhite@sacbee.com
Published: Friday, Jul. 11, 2014 – 10:48 pm
While a historically small number of Californians participated on Election Day, more of them than ever cast their votes by mail.
GARY BRODEUR
STAFF WRITER
Posted Jul. 10, 2014 @ 1:25 pm
Updated Jul 10, 2014 at 1:53 PM
APPLE VALLEY — Three of the town’s five council seats will be open for election in November. The seats are held by Curt Emick, Scott Nassif and Barb Stanton.
All three were elected to four-year terms on Nov. 2, 2010.
By Christopher Cadelago
ccadelago@sacbee.com
Published: Wednesday, Jul. 9, 2014 – 4:58 pm
California’s dominant healthcare union has taken the “extraordinary” step of requesting that elected officials refrain from accepting political contributions from an Ontario-based hospital chain and its chief executive.
Politics
By Katie Zezima and David Nakamura
July 9, 2014 at 8:56 PM
DALLAS — President Obama on Wednesday forcefully defended his decision not to visit the Texas border with Mexico to view a burgeoning humanitarian crisis, saying he’s “not interested in photo ops” and challenging Congress to give him new authority to respond to the situation.
By Michael Flaherty and Alistair Bell
WASHINGTON Thu Jul 10, 2014 4:02am EDT
(Reuters) – A surge of Republican pressure is bringing the Federal Reserve’s long-held independence into question again, as conservative lawmakers seek to place the U.S. central bank under tougher scrutiny.
Posted on Tuesday, July 8 at 10:32am | By Carla Marinucci
Republicans get an edge not only with the party’s choice of Cleveland as the site of the party’s 2016 nominating convention, but also in their plans to hold the convention in early summer, says Shawn Steel, a former chair of California GOP and a member of the Republican National Committee site selection committee.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Tuesday, Jul. 8, 2014 – 12:00 am
Last Modified: Tuesday, Jul. 8, 2014 – 7:45 am
California politics is meandering into uncharted procedural and legal territory with former Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez’s go-for-broke decision to seek a vote recount in his duel with Board of Equalization member Betty Yee for a spot on the November state controller ballot.
By KENNETH P. VOGEL | 7/7/14 9:00 PM EDT Updated: 7/8/14 5:41 AM EDT
At first, it seemed like just another example of Harry Reid being Harry Reid.
The Senate majority leader, whose unscripted attacks can veer into bellicosity and take liberties with facts, spoke on the Senate floor last October and appeared to blame billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch for the government shutdown.
Published: July 6, 2014 Updated: 10:42 p.m.
Riverside is investigating whether someone covertly recorded former City Manager Brad Hudson’s comments nearly five years ago and then shared the tapes with others, including Councilman Paul Davis.
That brings the number of probes at Riverside City Hall to three in the past three months, putting officials in an unprecedented – and likely uncomfortable – situation.
To read story by Alicia Robinson in the Press-Enterprise, click here.
By Ben Baeder, Whittier Daily News
Posted: 07/06/14, 6:03 PM PDT | Updated: 31 mins ago
At an increasing pace, your local government is spending your tax money paying lobbyists to get some more of your own tax money sent back to your community.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Monday, Jul. 7, 2014 – 12:00 am
At any given moment, dozens of comatose bills float around the Legislature – vessels to be filled with whatever the powers-that-be want to enact quickly and semi-clandestinely.
Politics and Policy
Presumed Presidential Candidate Makes Clear She Won’t Be Running for de Facto Third Obama Term
By Peter Nicholas
July 6, 2014 – 8:13 p.m. ET
Hillary Clinton has begun distancing herself from President Barack Obama, suggesting that she would do more to woo Republicans and take a more assertive stance toward global crises, while sounding more downbeat than her former boss about the U.S. economic recovery.
Top Stories
GOP leaders Ed Royce and Darrell Issa handle Congress very differently.
BY CATHY TAYLOR / WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF
Published: July 6, 2014 Updated: July 7, 2014 7:22 a.m.
They couldn’t be more different: the stiletto who aims for targeted foreign policy legislation and the sledgehammer who pounds away at big domestic investigations.
Published: July 5, 2014 Updated: 9:55 p.m.
The latest attempt to let Riverside County supervisors fill vacancies in their ranks appears to be dead, potentially giving the governor the chance to appoint a supervisor by year’s end.
To read story by Jeff Horseman in the Press-Enterprise, click here.
By Jessica Calefati
jcalefati@bayareanewsgroup.com
Posted: 07/05/2014 04:00:00 PM PDT
Updated: 07/06/2014 06:47:14 AM PDT
SACRAMENTO — After state Sen. Leland Yee’s stunning arrest earlier this year, the Legislature’s highest-ranking member urged his colleagues to finally fix a long-standing problem in California politics — the corrupting allure of money.
Political Whispers
Saturday, July 5, 2014
So, as with all Presidential second terms, President Obama is fading from relevance. It is inevitable and common for second term Presidents to become less popular and effective, Republican or Democrat.
David G. Savage
July 4, 2014
The Supreme Court led by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. showed again this year that it is playing a long game, writing opinions that move the law in small but steady steps in a conservative direction.
Michael A. Memoli
July 4, 2014
Democrats headed into the Fourth of July recess facing stiff head winds in their quest to maintain a Senate majority this fall, contending with voters’ unease over the economy and a slew of Washington controversies.
By JULIE PACE and ERICA WERNER
The Associated Press
Published: Thursday, Jul. 3, 2014 – 1:47 pm
Last Modified: Friday, Jul. 4, 2014 – 3:18 am
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is facing mounting calls from Republicans to take a firsthand look at the immigration emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, putting him on the spot concerning what he has called the “humanitarian crisis” of tens of thousands of unaccompanied children flooding in from Central America.
Ryan Grim and Kasey Varner
Posted: 07/03/2014 – 5:28 pm EDT
Updated: 07/03/2014 – 5:59 pm EDT
WASHINGTON — People are mad as hell, and they’re not going to take it anymore, an extensive new survey of public attitudes toward the government finds.
Thursday, July 3, 2014 – 10:15 a.m.
Here’s some news flowing across the transom Thursday morning.
Official unemployment rate falls in June
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 288,000 jobs were added in June. The number dropped the official unemployment rate (U-3) to 6.1%
By Grace Wong, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Posted: 07/01/14, 10:32 PM PDT | Updated: 27 secs ago
ONTARIO >> After a tumultuous few City Council sessions in recent weeks, Tuesday’s meeting saw a relatively short council agenda.
The two items that generated the most discussion dealt with Councilman Paul Vincent Avila and his issues with other council members.
By Tony Quinn
Political Analyst
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014
Neel Kashkari is the Republican candidate for governor because of the efforts of a mild mannered, bow-tied Stanford University physicist named Charles Munger Jr. Munger is also responsible for the defeat and retirement of several powerful California members of Congress, and he is the major funding source keeping the California Republican Party afloat. Not bad for a guy almost no one has ever heard of.
Politics
By Dan Balz
July 2 at 1:08 PM
President Obama’s displeasure with gridlock in Washington — and with the Republicans he blames for it — has been rising for months. This week it has boiled over.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014 – 10:00 a.m.
The San Bernardino County Grand Jury has released its final report for 2013-14.
Published: July 1, 2014 Updated: 10:59 p.m.
The state’s fledgling top-two open-primary election system has had unintended consequences – including the election of a Republican congressman in a predominantly Democratic Inland district two years ago.
This year, two Republicans almost made the November face-off for state controller despite Democrats’ 15-point advantage in California voter registration rolls. That’s because Democrats had more candidates splitting the partisan vote.
To read story by Martin Wiscksol in the Press-Enterprise, click here.
Christi Parsons, Michael A. Memoli
July 1, 2014
In his latest attempt to get Congress to spend money to upgrade America’s roads and bridges, President Obama debuted a new sales pitch Tuesday: patriotism.
By MIA SHAW
July 1, 2014
Kevin McCarthy, the newly minted House Majority Leader, rose speedily through the GOP ranks during his time as a California legislator – and used political instincts he honed in Sacramento to achieve power in Congress.
BOSTON — Jul 2, 2014, 3:06 AM ET
By STEVE PEOPLES
Associated Press
He insists he’s not running for president a third time, but Mitt Romney is campaigning again in New Hampshire.
Michael Muskal
June 30, 2014
The poll, released Monday, had good news and bad news for the high court, a unique institution that serves as a check and balance in the United States. People have more confidence in the court than in any other arm of government, but that may not be saying that much when confidence in the presidency stands at 29% and in the Congress at 7%.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Tuesday, Jul. 1, 2014 – 12:00 am
Last Modified: Tuesday, Jul. 1, 2014 – 12:15 am
Eighty years ago, California voters tightened up the state’s weak civil-service system to counter the corrupt practice of politicians padding public payrolls with family members, friends and political supporters.
However, the Legislature was exempted from the ballot measure’s provisions.
WASHINGTON — Jun 30, 2014, 10:08 AM ET
By SAM HANANEL
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court dealt a blow to public sector unions Monday, ruling that thousands of home health care workers in Illinois cannot be required to pay fees that help cover a union’s costs of collective bargaining.
By Laurel Rosenhall
lrosenhall@sacbee.com
Published: Sunday, Jun. 29, 2014 – 12:00 am
The anonymous letter sent to multiple California state senators last month ended with a sharp question: “Why is it that the Senate is not listing open positions, for other staff to apply for?”
By PAUL ELIAS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
June 28, 2014, 10:57 AM
SAN FRANCISCO — The California Supreme Court will decide if private emails and other electronic communications of government officials are public records open for inspection.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Sunday, Jun. 29, 2014 – 12:00 am
Who sees to it that California’s 6 million K-12 students receive solid educations?
Who ensures that California has an adequate supply of reasonably priced electric power?
Melanie Mason
June 27, 2014
California voters will get to weigh in on six ballot measures this November, including a proposal to reform criminal sentencing and a Gov. Jerry Brown-backed plan for a rainy-day fund.
June 26, 2014
Now that Lesli Gooch has dropped her request for a recount in the 31st Congressional District, Republican Paul Chabot and Democrat Pete Aguilar can now focus on the Nov. 4 general election.
To read post by Jeff Horseman in the P-E Political Empire Blog, click here.
By Daniel Rothberg
drothberg@sacbee.com
Published: Friday, Jun. 27, 2014 – 12:00 am
Last Modified: Friday, Jun. 27, 2014 – 6:54 am
Fueled by partisan and geographic differences, satisfaction with the Legislature continued a downward swing that began after a state senator was arrested on corruption charges earlier this year, according to a Field Poll released Friday.
By Zachary A. Goldfarb
June 26 at 8:41 PM
The Supreme Court decision invalidating President Obama’s use of recess appointments laid bare the legal and political risks the president faces as he makes the aggressive use of executive power a core tenet of his second term.
Opinions
Charles Krauthammer Opinion writer
June 26 at 8:08 PM
The Supreme Court this week admonished the Environmental Protection Agency for overreaching in regulating greenhouse gases. The Clean Air Act covers polluters that emit 250 tons per year (or in some cases, 100 tons). This standard makes no sense if applied to greenhouse gases. Thousands of establishments from elementary schools to grocery stores would be, absurdly, covered. So the EPA arbitrarily chose 100,000 tons as the carbon dioxide threshold.
June 25, 2014
Eastvale City Councilman Jeff DeGrandpre abruptly resigned Wednesday night after accusing his council colleagues of engaging in “back-door deals,” causing dissension at City Hall and holding meetings that violated California’s open-meeting law.
To read story by Sandra Stokley in the Press-Enterprise, click here.
Published: June 25, 2014 Updated: June 26, 2014 10:59 a.m.
An investigation into complaints against Riverside City Councilman Mike Soubirous was unable to determine whether he violated the city charter and ethics code. The council will hold a hearing on the findings July 22.
An investigation into complaints against Riverside Councilman Mike Soubirous was inconclusive, finding that “it would be speculation” to say whether Soubirous did anything wrong.
To read story by Alicia Robinson in the Press-Enterprise, click here.
Published: June 25, 2014 Updated: June 26, 2014 10:59 a.m.
Perris City Councilman Julio Rodriguez was out of jail on Wednesday, a day after his call to 911 ended with him in handcuffs.
To read story by Sarah Burge in the Press-Enterprise, click here.
By Staff Report
Posted: 06/26/14, 12:00 AM PDT |
Republican candidate Lesli Gooch, who finished third in the 31st Congressional District primary race earlier this month, decided late Wednesday to discontinue pursuing a recount of the ballots that began earlier in the day.
By Joe Nelson, The Sun
Posted: 06/24/14, 8:45 PM PDT | Updated: 1 min ago
A pair of legislative bills drafted by Sen. Norma Torres, D-Chino, in response to San Bernardino County’s Colonies corruption case passed two Assembly committees on Tuesday, continuing their path to Gov. Jerry Brown for final review and possible signing into law.
By Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine
June 25, 2014
Democrat Jerry Brown has little to fear from his GOP challenger, Neel Kashkari, according to the latest Field Poll that finds the governor leading by 20 points – 52-32% — including 13% among Republicans.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Tuesday, Jun. 24, 2014 – 9:31 pm
Jerry Brown may not be universally admired, but polls indicate that he’s virtually certain to win a record fourth term as governor, perhaps even in a landslide, and thus four more years to cement his place in political history.
However, that place depends largely on how well these major acts, all works in progress, of term No. 3 pan out:
By Daniel Newhauser Posted at 5:11 p.m. on June 24
Speaker John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, told Republicans Tuesday he could have an announcement within days on whether the House will file a lawsuit against President Barack Obama, challenging the executive actions that have become the keystone of the administration.
By JAMES HOHMANN | 6/25/14 1:16 AM EDT Updated: 6/25/14 7:22 AM EDT
Tuesday night was bad for Democrats, good for the GOP establishment and great for incumbents of both parties.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014 – 09:45 a.m.
A recount of select voting precincts, in the close 31st Congressional District contest, will start Wednesday.
By Christopher Cadelago
ccadelago@sacbee.com
Published: Tuesday, Jun. 24, 2014 – 12:00 am
Despite political fallout from his prisoner exchange, the unfolding scandal in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and growing unrest in the Middle East, President Barack Obama has maintained encouraging job ratings in California, where he’s buoyed by a scarcity of Republicans, according to the new Field Poll.
By Jeremy B. White
jwhite@sacbee.com
Published: Monday, Jun. 23, 2014 – 9:02 pm
Last Modified: Tuesday, Jun. 24, 2014 – 7:53 am
With the governor’s controversial Delta tunnel project a key part of the debate, lawmakers on Monday failed to advance a leading Senate proposal to put a revised water bond on the November ballot.
By Annika McGinnis
WASHINGTON Mon Jun 23, 2014 7:25pm EDT
(Reuters) – U.S. first lady Michelle Obama will not go into politics after leaving the White House, she said on Monday, dismissing rumors she might follow in the footsteps of predecessor Hillary Clinton and run for the Senate after her husband leaves office.
By MANU RAJU and BURGESS EVERETT | 6/23/14 11:26 PM EDT Updated: 6/24/14 5:26 AM EDT
Harry Reid has a new dilemma on his hands: restless Senate Democrats who are frustrated they aren’t casting enough votes.
Published: June 22, 2014 Updated: 6:26 p.m.
Paul Chabot has Rancho Cucamonga to thank for his win, and southwest Riverside County came through for Jeff Stone, according to a detailed breakdown of results from the June 3 primary.
To read story by Jeff Horseman in the Press-Enterprise, click here.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Monday, Jun. 23, 2014 – 12:00 am
Although election officials are still counting votes from the June 3 primary election – and a few contests are still in doubt – the lukewarm tenor of the Nov. 4 general election is evident, and that could be bad news for California’s dominant Democrats.
Health Care
By Sam Baker
June 23, 2014
A Republican Senate majority wouldn’t be able to fully repeal Obamacare, but it could force some pretty significant changes to the health care law.
BY DAVID HOOD / WASHINGTON BUREAU
Published: June 21, 2014 Updated: 9:18 p.m.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite the coming exodus of three stars from California’s delegation, Kevin McCarthy’s elevation to the second-most powerful position in Congress marks a historical peak in the Golden State’s political clout.
By Edward Klein
June 21, 2014 | 6:48pm
In his new book, “Blood Feud,” journalist Edward Klein gets inside the dysfunctional, jealous relationship between Bill and Hillary Clinton and Barack and Michelle Obama — and how it could explode in 2016.
Politics
By Aaron C. Davis
June 21, 2014 at 7:56 PM
During his first year as the Republican leader in the California State Assembly, Kevin McCarthy sent flowers to the wife of a fellow GOP lawmaker in honor of the couple’s anniversary. The woman called her husband gushing over the bouquet — only to learn that he did not deserve the credit.
The Fix
By Philip Bump
June 20, 2014
Gallup released a new poll on Thursday revealing that only seven percent of Americans have any real confidence in Congress. It’s an historic low, and probably one that 93 percent of Americans think is still higher than it should be.
Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
June 20, 2014
Gov. Jerry Brown, California lawmakers and other elected officials will be getting a two percent raise this year.
By KENDALL BREITMAN | 6/20/14 6:07 AM EDT Updated: 6/20/14 8:42 AM EDT
Two in three Americans disapprove of President Barack Obama’s handling of immigration, according to a new Gallup poll.
At 65 percent, the disapproval rate is the highest that Gallup has reported since the group began polling on the subject and is up 10 points since August 2013.
Thirty-one percent of those polled approved of his handling of immigration, the lowest readings since 2010, when only 29 percent approved.
To read entire story, click here.
Friday, June 20, 2014 – 09:00 a.m.
Here’s some news flowing across the transom Friday morning, in case you missed it!
Romney tops New Hampshire straw poll
With the Presidential Election a little more than two years off, the finger-in-the-water polling has started.
By Ryan Hagen, The Sun
Posted: 06/18/14, 8:24 PM PDT | Updated: 23 secs ago
Redlands Tea Party Patriots board member John Berry on Wednesday called for a recount in the 31st Congressional District primary race on behalf of Republican Lesli Gooch, who finished 209 votes behind Democrat Pete Aguilar, according to the certified election count.
By David Allen, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Posted: 06/19/14, 5:04 PM PDT | Updated: 1 min ago
You think the situation is tense in Iraq? Try an Ontario City Council meeting.
Like a bomb that might go off if mishandled, Tuesday’s meeting proceeded in relative calm but with quiet anxiety. In the final moments, Councilman Paul Vincent Avila, whose behavior has dominated recent meetings, asked a provoking question.
Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Richard Simon
June 19, 2014
Republicans are challenging the president’s characterization of the surge in young immigrants from Central America across the southern border as an unforeseen crisis, accusing his administration of contributing to the influx and demanding that he deploy National Guard troops and other resources to secure the border.
By Michael Doyle
McClatchy Washington Bureau
Published: Thursday, Jun. 19, 2014 – 3:17 pm
Last Modified: Thursday, Jun. 19, 2014 – 10:27 pm
WASHINGTON — Republicans in the House of Representatives on Thursday elected Bakersfield, Calif., native Kevin McCarthy as majority leader, giving California’s Central Valley a leg up on Capitol Hill.
Thursday, June 19, 2014 – 02:00 p.m.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield), as expected, was selected Republican Majority Leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, Thursday afternnon.
By JONATHAN TOPAZ | 6/18/14 6:18 AM EDT
President Barack Obama’s approval rating is tied for the lowest mark since the beginning of his presidency, a new poll says.
Dan Balz
June 18, 2014 at 7:42 PM
It is a near-perfect storm that has come together as Hillary Rodham Clinton tours the country promoting her new book and preparing for a possible presidential campaign in 2016.
June 17, 2014
Paul Chabot has Rancho Cucamonga to thank for his win and southwest Riverside County came through for Jeff Stone, according to a detailed breakdown of results from the June 3 primary.
To read post by Jeff Horseman in the P-E Political Empire Blog, click here.
By Josh Richman, jrichman@bayareanewsgroup.com
Posted: 06/17/14, 9:04 PM PDT |
Gov. Jerry Brown in a steamy political scandal? Unlikely.
Another national economic collapse? Also a long shot.
After this month’s primary election, the real question is: Does a rookie Republican like Neel Kashkari have any chance of toppling a popular governor in an ultrablue state?
Tuesday, June 17, 2014 – 10:00 a.m.
Here’s some new flowing across the transom Tuesday morning, in case you missed it!
Inland Cities budget woes ease
Several Inland Empire cities are facing a less dicier budget picture in their upcoming fiscal years.
BY CASSIE MACDUFF / STAFF COLUMNIST
Published: June 16, 2014 Updated: 9:40 p.m.
The return of Interim Fire Chief Paul Drasil shows just how much things have changed in San Bernardino.
To read column by Cassie MacDuff in the Press-Enterprise, click here.
Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
June 16, 2014
The California Senate reversed course Monday by approving a fundraising ban it rejected last week.
Melody Gutierrez
Updated 1:39 am, Tuesday, June 17, 2014
(06-16) 18:47 PDT Sacramento — Republican state lawmakers had a lot to say about the state budget, saying it contained “insidious” back-room deals, spent too much and saved too little. But, their opinions were all they had. Their votes weren’t needed.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Monday, Jun. 16, 2014 – 9:45 pm
Last Modified: Tuesday, Jun. 17, 2014 – 7:16 am
The political infighting over the next state budget began Sunday night, just minutes after the Legislature passed one that would spend $156.4 billion – $200 billion-plus when federal funds are included – in the fiscal year that begins July 1.
By Matt Fuller
Posted at 5:50 p.m. on June 16, 2014
Raúl R. Labrador is gunning to make Thursday’s House GOP majority leader contest an electoral upset on par with Eric Cantor’s primary loss last week to Dave Brat. But Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy is not just trying to win the race — he wants to make a statement.
By KENNETH P. VOGEL and DARREN GOODE | 6/16/14 8:20 PM EDT Updated: 6/16/14 11:28 PM EDT
During a closed-door gathering of major donors in Southern California on Monday, the political operation spearheaded by the Koch brothers unveiled a significant new weapon in its rapidly expanding arsenal — a super PAC called Freedom Partners Action Fund.
By Neil Nisperos, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Posted: 06/15/14, 5:12 PM PDT | Updated: 45 secs ago
After a stinging defeat for conservative gubernatorial candidate Tim Donnelly in the June 3 primary, the defeat of Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a Virginia primary election has provided Inland Empire tea party conservatives some level of encouragement.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Monday, Jun. 16, 2014 – 12:00 am
The Capitol has a long, sometimes unsavory, history of attaching extraneous matters of uncertain lineage to the state budget at the last minute.
Phillip Matier And Andrew Ross
Updated 2:01 pm, Sunday, June 15, 2014
Rarely has a major court decision been met with such stony silence by California politicians as the ruling declaring that the state’s teacher tenure laws hurt poor and minority-heavy schools and are unconstitutional.