Gov. Jerry Brown delivers his election-year state of the state message today to a joint session of the Legislature. He's expected to highlight his gains and urge folks to stay the course.
From the LAT's Anthony York: "But in public appearances this month, the 75-year-old Brown, a Democrat, has touted his success in bringing the state's budget into balance and directing more money to schools that serve the disadvantaged. He has advocated greater control for school districts over how they spend their state funds and emphasized greater responsibility for counties to jail criminals."
"The state is now running a surplus, thanks to cuts and tax increases backed by Brown and his fellow Democrats, as well as to an improving economy. At the same time, Brown has made a point of pairing that positive news with cautionary notes, saying that the government's long-term worker retirement benefits and other obligations are reason enough to keep spending in check."
Neel Kashkari, a former federal treasury official who played a key role in the bank bailout at the end of the recession, announced he is running for governor.
From the AP's Juliet Williams: "The Republican newcomer will face long odds against incumbent Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat who has not yet declared his intention to run for re-election but has amassed $17 million in his campaign account."
"Kashkari, an engineer by training, made the announcement during a speech at California State University, Sacramento. He cited the relatively poor performance of California's public school system and unemployment and poverty rates that are among the highest in the country as his main motivations for running."
Speaking of Kashkari, he hasn't voted in some key elections.
From the Chronicle's Carla Marinucci: "Former Treasury Department official Neel Kashkari, a moderate Republican who is expected to run for governor, has failed to vote in nearly half the elections in which he was eligible since 1998 - including the 2012 presidential primary and the 2005 special election called to decide the reform agenda of then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger - public records show"
"Kashkari, 40, a former Goldman Sachs and Pimco executive who ran the $700 billion federal bailout for financial institutions under both the George W. Bush and Obama administrations, first registered to vote in California in 1998. But records in the five California counties where he has lived at various times - San Mateo, Santa Clara, Los Angeles, Orange and Nevada counties - and from Philadelphia, where he lived from 2000 to 2002, show that he has failed to cast ballots in 10 of the past 23 elections."
Federal prosecutors say a retired San Diego cop and D.C-based campaign expert illicitly moved hundreds of thousands of dollars into San Diego campaigns.
From the LAT's Tony Perry: "Ravneet Singh, 41, owner of ElectionMall Inc., and retired police detective Ernesto Encinas, 57, conspired to funnel the money into independent committees supporting candidates in the mayoral elections of 2012 and 2013, among other elections, according to the complaint."
"The names of the candidates are not included in the complaint but two of them, from details in the complaint, appear to be ex-Mayor Bob Filner and Dist. Atty. Bonnie Dumanis."
Red-light cameras, which snap pictures of drivers who drive through intersections., are on the way out, according to a new report.
From the San Gabriel Valley Tribune's Steve Scauzillo: "In California, 60 cities and counties have ended red-light camera programs, more than the number presently using the cameras — about 51, said Jay Beeber, a researcher writing the report on red-light cameras for the libertarian-leaning think tank, who is also executive director of the group Safer Streets LA and a member of a subcommittee of the California Traffic Control Devices Committee, authorized by Caltrans to study reforms."
“The overall number of red-light camera locations have dropped,” Beeber said. “The trend has begun to reverse itself.”
So back to the drought, just how dry is it? Potentially, the driest in 500 years.
From Steven E. F. Brown at the San Francisco Business Times: "Yes, 2013 was the driest year in California since the 1840s, when recordkeeping started. But Lynn Ingram, a climate expert at the University of California, Berkeley, thinks this could be the Golden State's driest year in half a millennium."
"This could potentially be the driest water year in 500 years," said Ingram, a paleoclimatologist. She studies fossilized records of earth's climate going back millions of years -- layers of rock or sediment, shells, microfossils -- or other indicators, including rings in trees, seeking a long view."
"Based on the width of old tree rings, Ingram concludes California hasn't been this dry since 1580."
Speaking of the drought, three Cal;ifornia Republican members of the House are getting together with Speaker John Boehner in Bakersfield to announce emergency drought legislation.
From the Freno Bee's John Ellis: "If approved, the bill would allow the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta pumps to operate as long as water is available, said Rep. Devin Nunes, a Tulare Republican who will be in Bakersfield on Wednesday."
"It would also stop the San Joaquin River restoration, said Nunes, who has been a critic of the restoration in the past. The restoration's goal is to reconnect the river with the Pacific Ocean and reintroduce salmon runs."
More than a million people have signed up for some form of health care insurance in California under the Affordable Care Act, according to the latest figures.
From the Mercury-News' Tracy Seipel: "Covered California's executive director, Peter Lee, said that by mid-January, 625,564 people had enrolled in an insurance plan through the exchange -- an increase of almost 127,000 since Dec. 28, when the exchange last reported numbers to the federal government..."
"In addition, about 584,000 Californians were determined to be eligible for coverage under the health care law's expansion of Medi-Cal, the state's health program for the poor. That figure does not include the 630,000 Californians who were moved over to Medi-Cal from the state's Low Income Health Program on Jan. 1."
Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/01/21/3725199/3-gop-valley-congressmen-urge.html#storylink=cpy
