The House Ethics Committee is taking another look at Rep. Laura Richardson, the Long Beach Democrat who captured national attention for her personal financial dealings that included defaulting on three homes. She was cleared of wrongdoing then, but now faces a new probe for allegedly forcing her congressional staff to work on her political campaigns -- a violation of House rules and, potentially, federal law.
From Richard Simon in the L.A. Times: "The investigation is expected to be announced Friday. The panel, equally divided between Democrats and Republicans, largely operates in secret. Members voted unanimously to form a four-member investigative subcommittee — with power to subpoena witnesses and documents — to examine whether the Long Beach Democrat violated House standards of conduct. The investigation is likely to take months.
A source familiar with the preliminary inquiry discussed it on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. At least eight current and former Richardson staff members told investigators they felt compelled to work on her 2010 reelection campaign on their own time, the source said. Some said House resources, such as congressional phones and copying machines, were used in the campaign, the source said.
In a statement late Thursday, Richardson confirmed the panel's action and accused it of "unjustly" targeting some members while overlooking the well-publicized misuse of official House resources for personal purposes by numerous other members of Congress." She cited House members who sleep in their offices, "saving tens of thousands of dollars personally at taxpayers' expense."
Another reform plan for California's government and political process is in the works, this one from the group Californa Forward, which hopes to place its proposals before voters. Among the proposed changes is a shift to a two-year budget.
From the Bee's Torey Van Oot: "The list of fixes endorsed by California Forward includes shifting to a two-year budget and curbing last-minute legislative amendments by requiring that all bills are made available to the public at least three days before final passage."
"The political arm of the foundation-funded nonpartisan group filed paperwork Thursday to place its full proposal on the 2012 ballot through a constitutional amendment."
"It's really about figuring out steps that we can take to ensure that government is delivering results in a transparent and accountable way," Zabrae Valentine, executive director of the California Forward Action Fund, said of the plan."
The initiative proposal would also mandate "performance-based budgeting," requiring departments to provide lawmakers with goals, performance measures, target outcomes and require that a funding source is identified for any new program or tax cut expected to cost more than $25 million."
California's high-speed rail agency formally requested $6 billion in grants and bond proceeds to get the controversial bullet train's first segment completed in the San Joaquin Valley. Ralph Vartabedian and Dan Weikel tell the tale.
"The request now goes to Gov. Jerry Brown's administration and then the Legislature, where it will face tough scrutiny by lawmakers concerned about where they will find more than $90 billion to finish the system — described as the largest infrastructure project in the nation."
"In a new business plan announced Tuesday, the authority said it hopes to get billions in private investments, additional federal funding and proceeds from a new U.S. bond program that will require congressional approval. Critics note that the Republican-controlled House of Representatives has vowed to stop all federal funding for the project."
"The authority board sat silently Tuesday in a Sacramento hearing room as one speaker after another said the train's construction would ruin their homes, walnut groves, dairy farms, businesses and potentially their families' futures."
When times get tough, people get going -- to pawnshops. And the humble pawnshop is catering increasingly to a higher end clientele as people find themselves increasingly in need of cash. HealthyCal's Callie Shanafelt has the story.
"This change is due in part to a rising need among the long-term unemployed who need cash to pay their bills, according to Emmett Murphy, spokesperson for the California Pawnbrokers Association."
"They turn to pawnbrokers to borrow against valuable items they bought during better economic times."
"They go to pawnshops like Numis International Inc. in the middle-class town of Millbrae near the San Francisco International Airport. At first glance Numis International Inc. looks like a discount jewelry store."
“I have people who come in sometimes and say, ‘do you know where the pawnshop is?’” said Jacob Notowitz, Numis store manager. “And I’ll say yes, it’s right here.”
Finally, from our "Star Wars - The Sequel" file comes the tale of a man who allegedly killed his wife after she smashed up his cache of Star Wars memorabilia.
"Rickie La-Touche, 30, told a court that his Thai wife Pornpilai Srisroy, 28, had damaged his precious Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker memorabilia."
"He later suffocated her during a row and then ran sobbing to his mother who lived nearby."
"La-Touche later told police his wife had smashed up his Star Wars collection as part of a campaign to “make his life hell”. He also claimed he “flipped” when she threatened to leave him to go back to Thailand. La-Touche, also known as Rickie Nehls, was found guilty of murder and was ordered to serve a minimum of 12 years."
Should have sent him to the Death Star ...
