One of the constants of California elections is the continuing support for the death penalty, but a group has launched a 2012 ballot initiative that would bar capital punishment and replace it with life in prison without possibility of parole.
From the U-T's Mike Gardner: "Statewide, organizers must gather slightly more than 500,000 signatures of registered voters by March 18 to qualify the initiative for the November 2012 ballot."
“The death penalty serves no useful purpose. It is not a deterrent and it is horrendously expensive,” said retired Los Angeles County District Attorney Gil Garcetti, whose office prosecuted dozens of capital cases when he was there."
"Most rank-and-file police and district attorneys remain adamant that the death penalty is a deterrent and provides some measure of closure for families of victims. Advocates for victims rights seethe at the thought of not carrying out the ultimate penalty."
A perennial concept to put more equity into California's tax system is getting a new look: the split roll, which would tax income-producing commercial property at a different level than homes.
From the Ventura County Star's Timm Herdt: "Given this environment, it was inevitable that attention would turn to an issue that has successfully been kept under the rug for more than 30 years: a property tax system that provides greater benefits to business properties than to homeowners and has led to a gradual shift in the property tax burden onto homeowners and away from office buildings, shopping centers and industrial complexes."
"Thus, the idea of a so-called "split roll" property tax — a system that would treat business properties differently from residences — is beginning to elbow its way into the discussion."
"Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa jump-started the conversation in August when he suggested business property taxes might be revisited as part of a "grand bargain" of reform designed to rescue California's deteriorating public institutions. The issue was sufficiently elevated that last week, at its annual meeting with county assessors, the Board of Equalization sponsored a roundtable discussion at the Capitol that featured, among others, California Tax Reform Association Executive Director Lenny Goldberg and Ventura County Assessor Dan Goodwin."
The story of the town of Hinkley and its tainted water supply continues, years after "Erin Brockovich" brought it to the world's attention. On Tuesday, PG&E sought to block an order that it provide replacement water for the tiny San Bernardino County town.
From Joe Nelson in The Sun: "The utility's action Tuesday afternoon comes two weeks after the Lahontan Water Board ordered PG&E to provide a new replacement water system to Hinkley water users."
"PG&E has been providing bottled water at more than 80 locations in Hinkley, including homes and the town's only school and senior center."
"We remain committed to continuing to work cooperatively with the water board, interested agencies and the Hinkley community to address environmental impacts and community concerns stemming from our past operations...," PG&E spokesman Jeff Smith said."
"Those operations have for decades forced PG&E to grapple with the High Desert town's groundwater contamination problem."
The Occupy Oakland protesters have had their ups and downs with the police, and last night it was the downs: The demonstrations turned ugly after police raided the protesters' HQ.
From the Oakland Tribune: "Occupy Oakland demonstrators clashed all over downtown Oakland on Tuesday night with police who lobbed tear gas at least three times in futile attempts to fully disperse the more than 1,000 people who took to the streets after the early-morning raid of the movement's encampment."
"The rolling protest came about 12 hours after hundreds of police from across the Bay Area rousted about 300 people from the two-week old camp at Frank H. Ogawa Plaza. Tensions escalated after protesters vowed to return to the plaza, which was left with tents overturned and food, carpet, personal belongings and mounds of trash strewn on the lawn."
"We had to deploy gas to stop people from throwing rocks and bottles at police,"
Redistricting expert Tim Hodson, former executive director of Sac State's Center for California Studies and a former Senate staffer, has died of cancer.
From the Bee's Robert D. Davila: "Mr. Hodson revealed to friends in August 2010 that he had been diagnosed with brain cancer. News of his death was announced in an email from his wife, Ruth Holton-Hodson, state deputy controller for health and consumer policy."
"Mr. Hodson, who began his Capitol career as a Senate staff member, retired a few weeks ago as executive director of the Center for California Studies at California State University, Sacramento. In February, he completed a four-year term on the state Fair Political Practices Commission, a watchdog agency."
"As leader of the Center for California Studies since 1993, he oversaw expansion of the Capital Fellows Program, a nationally recognized internship that counts more than two dozen judges and current or former elected officials as alumni. He started the LegiSchool Project, which promotes civic engagement among high school students."
RIP, Tim...
