The saga of the L.A. sports stadium took another twist, as honky-tonk czar Billy Bob Barnett from Texas entered the fray against his long-time rival, Philip Anschutz, who wants to build a sports complex in downtown Los Angeles. Billy Bob says he wants to protect the public. Right.
From the LAT's Patrick McGreevy: "Barnett, who once ran a honky-tonk billed as the world's largest, has enlisted California lawmakers to place tough restrictions on the stadium project thousands of miles from his home. That way, his lobbyist says, it won't become a boondoggle unfair to Angelenos."
"Never mind that Barnett, a 6-foot, 5-inch former Chicago Bears defensive end, is locked in a bitter feud with the man behind the stadium plan, Philip Anschutz. The two have been battling over the prospect of competing concert halls in the Lone Star State."
"There, in the city of Irving, Barnett wants to build a $250-million entertainment project 10 miles from an existing complex owned by Anschutz's firm AEG. Anschutz is helping to bankroll a lawsuit that could derail Barnett's plan."
"Now the fight has moved to California, where Anschutz's supporters say the Los Angeles stadium project would create much-needed jobs."
California voters like the idea of allowing locals to decide whether they want to raise their taxes on booze, smokes and other goods to raise money.
From the LAT's Shane Goldmacher: "Local governments cannot tax such products in California now. But a proposal being vigorously debated in the Capitol would allow cities, counties and more than 1,000 school boards to add their own levies and give local voters final say. Nearly 60% of those polled supported such a change.
The sentiment spanned all age groups and every region of the state, according to the bipartisan survey by The Times and the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
"Leave it up to the locals," said Paul Greenberg, a 54-year old Democrat in San Diego who said he was semi-retired. "Let the people vote on it. I don't see anything wrong on that."
Community college students are getting whacked lately on fees, but one group is suggesting another one -- an additional fee for online courses, reports the Chronicle's Nanette Asimov.
"Hundreds, maybe thousands, of California community college students take online classes that require them to pay an access fee to a commercial publisher on top of their registration fee for the course."
"Students have complained that this practice forces them to pay twice for the same course and violates the state's college fee law because they can't download, print or keep the electronic texts and materials they've paid for. Some say they are not aware of the mandatory fee until after they've signed up for a class."
"Now, rather than recommend the fee be halted or refunded, a state task force studying the issue wants to change the law to specifically allow such online fees. The college system's Board of Governors can change Title 5 governing college fees without Legislative approval."
California courts, already crowded and arguably dysfunctional, are going to be getting a lot worse: Judicial officials have ordered closures and service cuts in the way of budget problems.
From Maura Dolan in the LA Times: "California judicial leaders, responding to budget slashing by state lawmakers, voted Friday to approve cutbacks that will close some courthouses, reduce court hours, and delay civil trials, custody decisions and divorces in some counties."
"Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, presiding over the meeting of top judicial policy makers, told the packed auditorium that the courts were in an "unprecedented crisis" and warned that no program would be spared scrutiny."
"The Judicial Council, the court's governing body, which consists primarily of judges and court officials appointed by the chief justice, approved cuts of $350 million from a statewide court budget of $1.5 billion. Council members listened without comment while a parade of judges and court employees pleaded for more money and warned that democracy itself was in danger."
Forget "Jaws," we've got a better Fish Tale from the coast of South Africa: The story of a Great White Shark that jumped into a boat. Aye, matey...
"The research team from Oceans Research was working off Seal Island, near Mossel Bay, on South Africa's Cape coast, when the nearly 10-foot-long creature reportedly made its move."
"Team leader Dorien Schroder told the newspaper that following more than an hour of shark activity around their boat, the Cheetah, the waters at the stern fell quiet."
"Next thing, I hear a splash and see a great white breach out of the water from one side of the boat hovering, literally, over a crew member chumming on the port side," she reportedly said."
"According to Schroder, the shark landed with half its body in the boat, but in a panic, thrashed its way further onto the vessel, cutting fuel lines and damaging equipment."