Politics, Government & Business in California's Inland Empire
Monday, November 30, 2015 – 08:30 a.m.
The race to de-throne San Bernardino County First District Supervisor Robert Lovingood is already in full swing and, from the looks of things, it’s going to be a circus.
By Martin Wisckol / Staff Columnist
Nov. 29, 2015 – Updated 12:00 a.m.
Rep. Loretta Sanchez’s campaign for U.S. Senate is showing signs of expanding its base beyond Southern California, giving frontrunner Kamala Harris, the state’s attorney general, reason to keep an eye on the rear-view mirror.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
November 29, 2015
The bankruptcies of three cities and high-profile financial scandals in a couple of others demonstrated the operational vulnerabilities of California’s municipalities.
Sunday, November 29, 2015 – 09:00 a.m.
With neighboring Los Angeles County handing 36-month contracts containing 10-percent across-the-board salary increases for employees, certain San Bernardino County employee unions find themselves in an uncomfortable situation to say the least.
By Jonathan Swan
November 29, 2015, 07:00 am
When asked who he would vote for if the presidential race comes down to Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, the former mayor of Los Angeles and a longtime Republican establishment figure, Dick Riordan, says: “I would probably go find a deserted island.”
Saturday, November 28, 2015 – 11:00 a.m.
Even though San Bernardino County, California has been ponying up tens of millions of dollars more in annual pension contributions each of the past several years, the funding situation hasn’t significantly changed.
Capitol Alert
By Jim Miller
jmiller@sacbee.com
November 27, 2015
The election is three years away, but Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones’ campaign for attorney general already has amassed tens of thousands of dollars and locked up dozens of endorsements.
Friday, November 27, 2015 – 09:00 a.m.
A civil rights lawsuit filed by four African-American women, arising from an alleged altercation at an Adelanto, California Del Taco Restaurant appears headed to settlement discussions.
By Niall Stanage
11/27/15 – 06:00 AM EST
The Republican establishment is nearing full-blown panic about Donald Trump.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
November 26, 2015
There’s nothing more fundamental to a well-functioning society than an efficient, fair court system to resolve civil disputes and criminal cases.
Thursday, November 26, 2015 – 10:30 a.m.
InlandPolitics would like to wish everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday.
Thursday, November 26, 2015 – 10:30 a.m.
There’s new coverage of recent developments in a long-running high-profile San Bernardino County legal case.
By Neil Nisperos, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Posted: 11/24/15 – 4:51 PM PST |
RIALTO >> Online retail giant Amazon quietly began warehousing operations out of its sixth California-based e-commerce fulfillment center in Rialto earlier this month.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
November 25, 2015
When Jerry Brown returned to the governorship in 2011, he pledged to clean up the state’s finances and pay off a “wall of debt.”
Jason Song
December 25, 2015
For the second year in a row, the percentage of people who successfully took the summer California bar exam fell to a historic low, with less than 47% passing, according to state statistics. Last year, only 48.6% of those who took the exam made the grade, the first time the passage rate dipped below half in nearly a decade.
Joseph Tanfani and Maloy Moore
November 25, 2015
Before he entered the race for the White House, Ben Carson signed on to a campaign to raise money to fight Obamacare. When Juanita McMillon saw his name, she was eager to get out her checkbook.
By Alexander Bolton – 11/25/15 06:01 AM EST
Congressional leaders face several hurdles to getting a budget deal done by the Dec. 11 deadline, including a fight over health funding that is holding up the omnibus spending package.
Published: Nov. 24, 2015 – Updated: 10:28 p.m.
Three ballot initiatives aimed at protecting the World Logistics Center from environmental legal challenges won’t actually go to Moreno Valley voters.
To read article by Imran Ghori in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
David Lazarus
November 24, 2015
The good news: Thanks to increased competition, wireless companies’ rates have dropped nearly 7% since 2008.
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Alison Vekshin
November 24, 2015 — 8:17 AM PST
Updated on November 24, 2015 — 9:15 AM PST
Private-equity firms reaped $3.4 billion in profit sharing for investing on behalf of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System since 1990, the sort of gains that have led to debate over why Wall Street pays lower taxes than most American workers.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015 – 08:00 a.m.
Billionaire GOP Presidential Candidate Donald Trump continues to defy the self-proclaimed political establishment experts.
Published: Nov. 23, 2015 – Updated: 8:59 p.m.
If you compared Riverside County’s ability to build new public facilities to a credit card, it would be almost maxed out.
To read article by Jeff Horseman in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
Published: Nov. 23, 2015 Updated: 10:57 p.m.
Three initiatives that could insulate the World Logistics Center from lawsuits have qualified for the ballot, Moreno Valley’s City Clerk said Monday, Nov. 23.
To read article by Imran Ghori in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
By Lou Ponsi / Staff Writer
Nov. 23, 2015 – Updated 12:11 p.m.
A $4.9 million settlement has been reached in the Kelly Thomas wrongful-death civil suit against Fullerton and current and former police officers, attorneys announced Monday just hours before the civil case was to begin.
Monday, November 23, 2015 – 09:30 a.m.
Billionaire Candidate Donald Trump has, once again, resumed in ascent in new polling.
Monday, November 23, 2015 – 09:00 a.m.
Not that I agree with California Governor Jerry Brown on much.
But he’s correct regarding the fix to the under-funding problem affecting the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS).
Monday, November 23, 2015 – 08:30 a.m.
It sure appears as if San Bernardino still can’t get out of its own way.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
November 22, 2015
As the Great Recession gripped California, state revenues plummeted by 20 percent and Capitol politicians and major stakeholders battled over which programs would take the hits.
By Rene Ray De La Cruz, Staff Writer
Posted: Nov. 21, 2015 at 12:01 AM
Updated: Nov. 21, 2015 at 8:44 PM
HESPERIA — The city has found a temporary replacement for Mike Podegracz as it continues its search for a new city manager.
By Amie Parnes and Jonathan Swan
November 21, 2015 – 03:46 pm
Turmoil and lackluster funding in California Attorney General Kamala Harris’s Senate campaign has some Democratic operatives wondering what’s gone wrong.
By Debra J. Saunders
Published: Friday, November 20, 2015 – 1:00 pm
Donald Trump is like a contagion who infects everyone around him. Once you’ve kissed, you can never wipe off his saliva. Consider the venerable (in its own view) NBC. This year, the network fired Trump, only to find it is Trump Lite.
Phil Willon
November 20, 2015
A state ethics agency has determined that California Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris did not violate state laws when she received gifts from a company owned by San Francisco interior designer Ken Fulk.
Capitol Alert
By Jim Miller
jmiller@sacbee.com
November 20, 2015
A shrinking share of California’s 17.7 million voters have a party affiliation, a situation that has helped foster a niche industry of campaign literature tailored to voters without a party preference.
By Kelly Puente and Tony Saavedra / Staff Writers
Nov. 19, 2015
Updated Nov. 20, 2015 – 12:36 p.m.
After four sheriff’s deputies refused to testify in court on grounds of self-incrimination, an Orange County judge on Wednesday granted a new trial for a gang member convicted of murder.
By Tony Saavedra / Staff Writer
Nov. 19, 2015
Updated Nov. 22, 2015 – 3:56 a.m.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office on Thursday blasted a letter by more than three dozen former prosecutors and legal heavy-hitters calling for a federal investigation into the use of jailhouse informants as ill-timed and ill informed.
Abby Sewell
November 20, 2015
Workers represented by Los Angeles County’s largest employee union voted to approve a tentative agreement with county management that would give them a 10% raise over three years.
Chris Kirkham
November 20, 2015
California employers added 41,200 net jobs in October, a significant increase from more sluggish growth reported a month earlier, according to data released Friday.
By Ryan Hagen, The Sun
Posted: 11/19/15 – 6:48 PM PST |
SAN BERNARDINO >> City Manager Allen Parker confirmed at a neighborhood meeting Thursday that he would be leaving Dec. 31, after a closed session vote to offer him $221,976 in severance pay in exchange for his resignation from a position that had become increasingly fractious.
John Myers
November 19, 2015
If there is one thing that Gov. Jerry Brown has made a calling card since returning to office in 2011, it’s a push toward paying down government debt.
By Rex Dalton
November 18, 2015 at 2:00 PM
A coalition of national legal authorities is calling for a federal investigation of the Orange County District Attorney and Sheriff’s Department for alleged systemic violations of defendants’ rights involving jail informants.
Sam Farmer
November 19, 2015
The clock is winding down on the likelihood of the NFL’s return to Los Angeles by the 2016 season, and the situation is as murky as ever.
By Kurtis Alexander
Thursday, November 19, 2015 – Updated 9:12 pm
Federal forecasters said Thursday, Nov. 19, that the El Niño weather pattern will likely provide some relief to California’s four-year drought this winter.
Chad Terhune
November 19, 2015
Industry giant UnitedHealth has warned it may quit selling Obamacare coverage across the country, raising questions about an expansion in California.
Lisa Mascaro
November 19, 2015
Tapping into heightened security fears after the Paris terrorist attacks, House Republicans — joined by many Democrats — rebuffed President Obama on Thursday and overwhelmingly approved legislation that would in effect halt the resettlement of refugees from Syria and Iraq to the U.S.
Published: Nov. 18, 2015 – Updated: 7:31 p.m.
Wells Fargo Bank has warned more than 100 employees in an operating unit of a San Bernardino office of its intention to eliminate their staff positions in January.
To read article by Debra Gruszecki in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
By Ryan Hagen, The Sun
Posted: 11/18/15 – 9:09 PM PST |
SAN BERNARDINO >> Allen Parker’s last day as city manager will be Dec. 31, after the City Council agreed Monday to modify his contract to include a year’s severance pay in exchange for his resignation, according to a source who was in the room for the closed-session vote.
Melody Petersen
November 18, 2015
The board of California’s largest public pension fund approved a plan Wednesday to lower its estimate of future investment returns — a move that will require taxpayers to pay billions of dollars more than expected over the next decades.
Capitol Alert
By Jim Miller
jmiller@sacbee.com
November 18, 2015
California’s economic engine will continue to hum in the coming years, allowing the state to ring up a series of multibillion-dollar budget surpluses and build rainy-day reserves, the Legislature’s nonpartisan fiscal analyst projected Wednesday.
By Niall Stanage – 11/19/15 06:00 AM EST
Donald Trump has gained political strength since the Paris terrorist attacks last Friday, according to most of the polls released in the aftermath.
Jim Puzzanghera
November 18, 2015
Most Federal Reserve policymakers believe next month could be the right time to nudge up a key interest rate for the first time in nearly a decade, according to minutes of their last meeting.
Published: Nov. 17, 2015 – Updated: 11:47 p.m.
If nothing is done, Riverside County’s $239 million in savings could be wiped out in a few years, according to a new county budget report.
To read article by Jeff Horseman in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
Capitol Alert
By David Siders
dsiders@sacbee.com
November 17, 2015
U.S. Senate frontrunner Kamala Harris is changing campaign managers and making moves to reduce costs, her campaign said Tuesday, after unusually heavy spending in recent months.
Melody Petersen
Novembe 17, 2015
Experts have warned for years that the state’s largest public pension plan has overestimated how much its investments will earn, leaving taxpayers to pay billions of dollars more than expected.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
November 17, 2015
Kevin de León, the state Senate’s president pro tem, has been making his way slowly to a global conference on climate change in Paris next month.
By William A. Galston
Nov. 17, 2015 – 6:34 p.m. ET
The biggest surprise of the presidential election so far is the emergence and persistent strength of Donald Trump. Although Ben Carson is remarkable in many respects, he is the latest iteration of a familiar figure in Republican primary campaigns: the favored candidate of conservative evangelicals.
Politics | Tue Nov 17, 2015 5:07pm EST
WASHINGTON | By Ginger Gibson
American voters are evenly split between Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Democratic rival Hillary Clinton as their top choice to address the issue of terrorism following the Paris attacks, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
Published: Nov. 16, 2015 – Updated: 10:23 p.m.
Supporters of the World Logistics Center turned in about 48,000 signatures Monday for three ballot initiatives aimed at thwarting legal challenges to a 40.6 million-square-foot warehouse complex that would transform the city’s eastern side.
To read article by Imran Ghori in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
By Ryan Hagen, The Sun
Posted: 11/17/15 – 12:42 AM PST |
SAN BERNARDINO >> After years of uncertainty going back at least to the first month of bankruptcy when the city started moving forward with outsourcing its refuse services, 72 city employees learned Monday night who their new employer will be: Burrtec.
Published: Nov. 16, 2015 – 8:18 p.m.
The Eastvale City Council announced Monday night, Nov. 16, that it intends to file a lawsuit against Riverside County involving a bill that provided for debt relief for Riverside County’s newest cities.
To read article by Sandra Stokley in The Press Enterprise, click here.
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By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
November 16, 2015
Proposition 209, passed by California voters in 1996, bars race, ethnicity or gender preferences in hiring, college admissions and other governmental actions.
Capitol Alert
By Jeremy B. White
jwhite@sacbee.com
November 16, 2015
Breaking with other governors who have warned that admitting Syrian refugees would undermine American security, Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday advocated preserving “America’s traditional role as a place of asylum” but stressed the need for thorough vetting.
Dean Starkman Dean Starkman
November 16, 2015
The nation’s largest public pension fund would have endured lower returns and higher volatility over the years had it not invested in private equity, even with its high fees and added risks, experts testified Monday.
Rong-Gong Lin II and Shelby Grad
November 16, 2015
As experts continue to predict a wet winter because of El Niño, California officials continue to take a cautious approach when it comes to easing water conservation measures amid the state’s four-year drought.
By Jeff Parsons
November 16, 2015 – 12:54
The global hacktivist group has threatened to intercept and close down ISIS online communications and accounts
By Eric Pianin
November 16, 2015
First, the administration revealed that enrollments for Obamacare next year will barely hit 10 million, far below previous projections.
By Daniel Halper
Nov 16, 2015 • 11:31 AM
In new State Department emails obtained by Judicial Watch, Hillary Clinton’s close personal aide, Huma Abedin, is seen warning another aide that Clinton is “often confused.”
Monday, November 16, 2015 – 08:00 a.m.
Three highly-publicized long-running San Bernardino County criminal prosecutions will see 2016, and likely beyond for that matter.
Kasia Klimasinska
November 15, 2015 — 4:00 PM PST
House Speaker Paul Ryan said he supports allowing undocumented immigrants to remain in the U.S. without gaining citizenship, and that he doesn’t believe mass deportation, an idea promoted by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, is feasible.
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By Inland Empire Business Daily
November 14, 2015
Nine months ago Political Whispers declared immigration reform dead. President Obama’s executive amnesty was the final nail in the coffin that ended any ability for a compromise in this congress or future congresses.
Cathleen Decker
November 14, 2015
As Donald Trump and other Republicans talked tough on illegal immigration during last week’s presidential debate, an exasperated Jeb Bush noted that Hillary Clinton’s campaign aides were, right then, exchanging high-fives.
By David R. Baker
November 14, 2015
Updated: November 14, 2015 – 7:22pm
AVILA BEACH, San Luis Obispo County — California’s largest power plant churns out enough electricity for 1.7 million homes, yet pumps no greenhouse gases into the sky. Unlike the wind farms and solar plants spreading across the state, its output doesn’t vary hour by hour, day or night. It needs little land and less fuel.
Lee Romney
November 14, 2015
Heavy equipment mechanic Fredrick Jefferson said it was when a supervisor fired him that he learned his driver’s license had been revoked because of unpaid traffic fines.
Saturday, November 14, 2015 – 09:30 a.m.
Local radio and newspaper outlets continue to cover the saga of former San Bernardino County Human Resources Andrew Lamberto.
Saturday, November 14, 2015 – 09:00 a.m.
The horrific images of the coordinated terror attacks in Paris, on Friday, have placed border and immigration control front and center in the republican presidential campaign.
As if the issue wasn’t already there.
Politics | Fri Nov 13, 2015 – 4:35pm EST
WASHINGTON | By James Oliphant
After a week in which he hosted Saturday Night Live and stood center-stage at a Republican debate, Donald Trump is surging among Republicans likely to cast votes in the party’s presidential primary.
By Julie Balise
Friday, November 13, 2015 – Updated 5:36 pm
Facebook activated its Safety Check tool on Friday, after at least 100 people died in terror attacks across Paris.
Andrew Khouri
November 14, 2015
Another bidder appears to be lining up for Freedom Communications, the owner of the Orange County Register that filed for bankruptcy last week.
By Neil Derry
Posted: 11/13/15 – 1:25 PM PST |
The state of California has embarked on a 25-year green power odyssey in an effort to reduce the amount of carbon we place into the atmosphere, all aimed at leading the world in an anti-climate change crusade for humanity.
By Joe Nelson, The Sun
Posted: 11/12/15, 10:22 AM PST |
Outspoken former Victorville Councilwoman Angela Valles is suing her employer, the Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority, alleging her colleagues have retaliated against her and demoted her because of her continued efforts to expose government corruption.
By Joe Nelson, The Sun
Posted: 11/12/15 – 12:34 PM PST |
The parents of a developmentally disabled Ontario man, beaten to death by his cell mate at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga, have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against San Bernardino County and the captain of the jail.
By Shea Johnson
Staff Writer
Posted Nov 12, 2015 at 5:25 PM
Updated Nov 12, 2015 at 6:11 PM
SAN BERNARDINO — A former Congressional staffer exonerated of possessing child pornography will speak to reporters Friday outside sheriff’s headquarters here as he recovers property seized by authorities from his home during the criminal investigation.
By Juliet Williams
Associated Press
Nov 12, 2015 – 6:57 PM EST
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Two well-known Republican state lawmakers submitted language Thursday for a ballot initiative that would ask California voters to redirect about $8 billion in bond money from the state’s high-speed rail project to build water storage.
By Brian Melley
Associated Press
November 12, 2015
LOS ANGELES (AP) — California’s death penalty survived a legal challenge Thursday when a federal appeals court reversed a lower court ruling that had found it was unconstitutional because of excessive delays.
By Tali Arbel, AP Business Writer
Posted: 11/12/15 – 10:03 AM PST |
The owner of the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and other newspapers says it expects a buyout offer to cut its staff by 7 percent.
By Josh Richman
jrichman@bayareanewsgroup.com
Posted: 11/13/2015 – 05:17:09 AM PST
Updated: 11/13/2015 – 05:17:20 AM PST
Bone-dry California remains on track to get a drenching this winter from the weather phenomenon known as El Niño, federal scientists said in new projections released Thursday.