Jack Dolan reports that some affluent areas are taking advantage of tax breaks designated specifically for the poor.
"It's impossible to say how many neighborhood residents or employers have benefitted from the tax breaks — city officials refused to release the names and addresses of the people hired under the program, citing a concern for their privacy.
"But the officials acknowledged that because of the way the state measures impoverished communities, the tax breaks meant for residents of California's most economically distressed neighborhoods can also be claimed for white-collar professionals living in upscale Westwood, parts of Silver Lake and the stretch of the Venice seaside that was home to Dennis Hopper."
Don Thompson looks at what's at stake in the Sam Blakeslee vs. John Laird race tomorrow.
"If the Democratic candidate, John Laird, wins
the open seat, it would bring Democrats within one
vote of the
two-thirds majority they need in the Senate to approve
budgets and tax
increases. That possibility prompted the endorsement
from the president,
who says the ability of Republican state lawmakers
to block the
spending plans of majority Democrats is equivalent
to the roadblocks he
has faced in Congress. "The possibility that Democrats could get so close
to a supermajority
in one house of the Legislature has led Republicans
and conservative
groups to open their wallets in hopes of keeping the
district in GOP
hands. "When you're one vote away from two-thirds, anything can happen,"
said Rob Lapsley, executive director of JOBSPAC, a
pro-business campaign
committee backing the Republican candidate, state
Assemblyman Sam
Blakeslee. "That's what this is about. It's simple
and straightforward
math." Geroge Skelton wants jail time for Bell's overpaid public officials. "I don't care if he and his fellow conspirators haven't
been charged, let
alone convicted. They're guilty of ripping off vulnerable,
uninformed
taxpayers in one of the county's poorest cities, exploiting
their public
trust and, sadly, apathy. Paul Rogers look at the other environmental regulations that could be affected
if Proposition 23 passes.
"Moreover — not to get overly patriotic about it — they have further
undermined our democratic institutions. It's almost
treasonous. The
public already is acutely cynical about elected representatives.
And
these Bell bozos just confirmed a lot of people's darkest
suspicions."
"A November ballot measure that would suspend California's landmark global-warming law could also end up rolling back some of the state's other sweeping environmental standards -- including rules that require utilities to generate a third of their electricity from renewable sources and programs requiring oil refineries to make cleaner-burning fuels.
"How broadly courts might interpret Proposition 23 is
setting off alarm bells among Silicon Valley executives
and
environmental groups. "If we don't go forward with 33 percent
renewable standard for California's energy supply,
we undercut all those
companies and entrepreneurs creating jobs in solar,
wind, biofuels and
other renewable forms of energy," said Carl Guardino,
CEO of the Silicon
Valley Leadership Group, a San Jose organization that
represents more
than 300 companies and that opposes Proposition 23.
Carly Fiorina and Barbara Boxer both weighed in on the controversy surrounding a plan to build a mosque near the former site of the World Trade Center towers in New York.
Maeve Reston reports, "Two days after President Obama waded into the controversy over plans to build a mosque near ground zero in New York City, Republican Senate candidate Carly Fiorina said it was an “intensely personal and local issue,” adding that she didn’t think “it’s helpful when the president of the United States weighs in.”
"The placement of the mosque two blocks north of where the World Trade Center stood before Sept. 11 has prompted furious debate in recent weeks. Obama broke his silence Friday at the annual White House dinner celebrating Ramadan, stating that America’s “commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable.”
President Obama will be in Los Angeles Monday to raise money for Democratic congressional candidates.
"President Obama is scheduled to visit Los Angeles
on Monday
afternoon to help raise money for the Democratic Congressional
Campaign
Committee, according to variety.com.
"He is slated to attend a
fundraiser at the home of "ER" and "The West Wing"
executive producer
John Wells and his wife, Marilyn. House Speaker Nancy
Pelosi and Rep.
Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), chairman of the committee, also are expected
to attend, the website said.
"The cocktail and dinner costs $2,500 per person."
And finally,another great idea about how to settle the budget stand-off. A Moo-off.
"When it comes to mooing, 10-year-old Austin Siok is an expert.
"The Dyer Intermediate School fifth-grader last week won an annual mooing contest at the Wisconsin State Fair because he sounded more like a real cow than the other about 80 contest participants. And since then he hasn't stopped mooing, said Austin's mom, Dawn Siok, 47, of Burlington.
"He's pretty much mooed everywhere we've went now," said Siok, an administrative assistant for Kohl's. "He mooed at the bank and he mooed at Kohls. Everyone wants to hear him moo."
We've got $10 that says Garrick could out-moo Pérez. Just sayin...