Controversies
Cities Object to State Picking PG&E-Connected Law Firm to Mediate San Bruno Blast Settlement
The cities of San Francisco and San Bruno asked the state’s hand-picked mediator in the deadly San Bruno pipeline explosion settlement talks―DLA Piper, the law firm of famed negotiator and former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell―to step down Tuesday because of an alleged conflict of interest. read more
CalState Doesn’t Think Most Lawmakers Make the Grade
State lawmakers must be wondering, “What ever happened to grade inflation?”
California State University released its first-ever legislative report card last week, rating lawmakers on how well they supported issues that benefited the school and higher education in general, and no one made the Dean’s list. read more
Alameda County Sheriff Wants to Be First in State to Have Very Own Drone
Drones, those unmanned aerial machines flying regular deadly missions in Afghanistan, North Africa and the Middle East, are slowly being deployed by U.S. law enforcement agencies for crime fighting and other assorted chores―like surveillance.
Now, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department has submitted a proposal to become the first law enforcement agency in California to have a drone of its own. read more
20 Prison Employees Fired for Smuggling Cellphones to Inmates for Love and Money
California’s prison system stumbled ahead on measures to control rampant use of illegal cellphones in correctional institutions by firing 20 workers suspected of smuggling the devices in for inmates. Another 21 are under investigation and allegations were dropped against 13 others, according to a report published by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Office of the Inspector General. read more
Walmart Strike that Started in Los Angeles Spreads to 12 Cities
An unprecedented strike that began at a Walmart store in Los Angeles, has spread to 28 stores in 12 cities, including Chicago, Dallas, Miami Orland and Seattle.
More than 70 workers walked off their jobs within 24 hours at nine stores in Los Angeles October 4, and though they returned to work within days, the action against the notoriously anti-union retailer did not go unnoticed by other Walmart workers and management. read more
L.A. Sues to End the Century-Old Owens Lake Saga
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) will mark the 100th anniversary of water diversions from Owens Lake—which eventually turned it into a dustbowl—in federal court, suing the state and federal government over orders, it is defying, to expand its anti-dust efforts. read more
Oakland Sues to Keep Pot Shop Open; Says Feds Waited Too Long to Step In
Daring to go where no municipal government has apparently gone before, the city of Oakland has sued the federal government to block forfeiture proceedings against the giant Harborside medical marijuana collective and its dispensaries. read more
5 Years after Settlement, L.A. Archdiocese Says It Will Finally Release Priest Files
Five years after a sweeping settlement with the Los Angeles Roman Catholic Archdiocese over sexual molestation claims, an attorney for plaintiffs says he is days away from getting promised personnel files on 25 priests. read more
Santa Monica Sued for Limiting Christmas Display
The city of Santa Monica has been ground zero in the War on Christmas since it opened a holiday display on city property overlooking the ocean to a lottery system, only to see atheists win 18 of the coveted 21 spaces where traditional nativity scenes had been displayed for nearly 60 years. read more
PG&E’s Undersea Sonic Blasts Would Map Quake Faults and Harass Marine Life
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) is poised to begin weeks of sonic earthquake fault testing off the coast of its Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant at San Luis Obispo that will affect the “migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding or sheltering” of marine animals, but hopefully won’t kill or injure them. read more
Navy Steams Ahead on Treasure Island Cleanup, but Public Health Department Not Fully on Board
The U.S. Navy, in a September 18 community presentation, pronounced the inhabited areas of San Francisco Bay’s Treasure Island “free of any threat to public health or safety . . . based on the data independently collected by the Navy and the CDPH [California Department of Public Health].”
But the public health department is not on board with all the findings in the draft report, according to the Bay Citizen. read more
LAPD Rains on Shuttle Endeavour’s Parade
When it was announced last month, to the horror of tree-huggers everywhere, that 400 healthy pine, ficus, magnolias and the like would have to be cut down so the shuttle Endeavour could cross Los Angeles County unimpeded to its new home at the California Science Center, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa promised, seemingly as compensation, “the mother of all parades” along the route.
Last week, they found out there will be no parade. read more
Charter Schools Can Keep Independence and Right Not to Feed Poor Kids
Although Governor Jerry Brown believes that “pupil nutrition is profoundly important,” he feels it is trumped by the need of charter schools to “be free from large portions of the voluminous state Education Code.”
That was the message delivered last week when the governor vetoed Assembly Bill 1594, legislation that would have compelled charter schools to provide low-income students with free or reduced-price meals like those served, by law, in traditional schools. read more
It's Game On . . . or Game Off, as the Case May Be, for Renamed Fish & Wildlife Department
Only a dozen states now retain the word “Game” in the title of their wildlife agencies after Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation last week changing the name of California’s Department of Fish and Game to the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Come January 1, the department will also be known as CalWild (to go with CalFire and CalTrans).
read more
City’s Halloween Sex Offender Restrictions Are Challenged in Court
The Ventura County city of Simi Valley passed an ordinance last month requiring that all 67 Simi Valley sex offenders listed on the Megan’s Law website post well-lit signs with letters at least one inch tall warning trick-or-treaters that this is no place to seek favors.
Last week, an attorney for five of the listed offenders asked a judge in U.S. District Court, Central District, Western Division to grant an injunction against enforcement of the ordinance. read more
Brown Veto Lets State Agencies Disrupt Protesters’ Cellphone Communications
Six months after Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) officials disrupted a protest rally over police brutality by shutting down wireless service in the subway, the state Legislature unanimously passed Senate Bill 1160, requiring a court order before such actions can be taken.
On Saturday, Governor Jerry Brown vetoed the bill, echoing warnings from law enforcement that it would interfere with “barricade, hostage and emergency circumstances.” read more