For the first time in 16 years, a new political party has qualified for California's statewide ballot. The group, called Americans Elect, submitted more than a million signatures from voters.
From the Press-Enterprise's Jim Miller: "The secretary of state’s office announced Monday that Americans Elect had turned in 1.09 million valid voter signatures to qualify for the June 2012 ballot. It needed 1,030,040 valid signatures."
"Americans Elect’s organizers bill it as a nonprofit organization with backers from across the partisan spectrum. They will encourage voters submit their views to shape a platform and help select an Americans Elect ticket for president and vice president through an online convention."
“With the state unemployment rates hovering around 12 percent, record numbers of Californians losing their homes and our education system being decimated by funding cuts, the people of California are desperate for their elected representatives to stop clinging to their ideological differences at the expense of helping Californians weather the worst economic downturn in decades,” Darry Sragow, senior adviser to Americans Elect, said in a statement."
Speaking of the secretary of state, criticism over the department's technology problems appears to be mounting. California Watch's Will Evans reports.
"The server crash that brought down California’s campaign finance disclosure database for more than two weeks now also has incapacitated the state system for validating new voter registrations."
"This, on top of a years-long delay in creating a new voter registration database, as well as other elections issues, has ratcheted up the criticism directed at Bowen, who's in her second term."
"Sometimes, I feel like we’re having to knock really hard on the door and scream that we’re out here and need time and attention and guidance and leadership," said Gail Pellerin, president of the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials. "It’s been really hard to get a seat at the table."
Nurses across California plan a one-day strike this week to protest cuts in budgets and other issues that they say has affected patient care.
From the LAT's Ruben Vives: "The strikes will take place Thursday and will involve 2,000 nurses from Long Beach Memorial Medical Centerand Miller Children's Hospital, and 4,000 nurses from eight Bay Area hospitals owned by Sutter Health, according to the California Nurses Assn. and National Nurses United."
"The major work stoppage is not expected to affect patient care, but replacing the nurses for a day will cost the two nonprofit foundations millions of dollars, union and hospital officials acknowledge."
"On Monday, nurses in Long Beach were making picket signs and banners in preparation for the walkout. For months the nurses have been in contract negotiations with hospital management. Their contract expired Sept. 30."
Ruth Coleman, who has headed California's parks department for nearly a decade, has come under fire from some members of the State Parks Peace Officers Management Association, who heard that Gov. Brown may be looking for Coleman's replacement.
From the Bee's Matt Weiser: "In a Dec. 14 letter to the governor, the State Parks Peace Officer Management Association shared a recent poll of its approximately 125 members. The poll found that 93 percent want a new director. About 56 percent of the members participated in the poll.
"Director Coleman is an honorable person, but she has been largely absent in making sense of the new economic realities," the letter said.
"We understand that there is some discussion within the administration regarding the director's appointment process. Consequently, we wanted you to know our position."The association provided a copy of the letter to The Bee. Its members are superintendents and supervising rangers who oversee California's 278 parks at the field level.
And from the thickest file in our cabinet -- Dumb Crooks -- comes the tale of the thieves who discussed their crime, not knowing that the cops were listening in.
"Madison police say two men in their late 20s stole DVDs and computer games from a Target store Tuesday and discussed their plans to fence the goods while driving away."
"Investigators say the duo didn't realize one of them had accidentally pocket-dialed 911. A dispatcher listened in for nearly an hour as they discussed what they had stolen and where they might sell it. Police say they even described their vehicle."
"Madison police spokesman Joel DeSpain says the pair decided to sell their goods at a video store. When they pulled into the store's parking lot, officers surrounded their vehicle with guns drawn."
