California may be looking at a 15 or 20 cent bump in fuel prices in January, unless lawmakers approve a delay. John Howard in Capitol Weekly:
“California’s first-in-the-nation law curbing greenhouse gases may soon have a direct impact on a motorist’s most sensitive part — the wallet.
“Absent changes, gasoline and diesel fuel beginning in January will be covered under a state auction program that requires petroleum companies to obtain carbon emission credits in order to continue to operate as they gradually choke off their greenhouse gases. The minimum cost of those credits, or allowances, is unknown, but experts believe they may be in the range of $12-to-$13 each, with each credit covering a ton of carbon emissions. Millions of credits may be sold and that cost is likely to be passed on at the pump. During a recent sale, emission allowances were selling at $11.34.”
Murrieta Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez wants Governor Brown to get more involved with the immigration crisis that has gripped the district since protesters turned back busses of immigrants last week. Jeremy White has the story in the Sacramento Bee.
“Protests in the town of Murrieta, prompted by busloads of immigrants passing through the town en route to shelter, have displayed mounting anger on both edges of the debate. Demonstrators on one side have sought to turn back the buses and condemned illegal immigration. On the other side are protesters emphasizing the humanity of youths fleeing violence and poverty.
“Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore, represents Murrieta in the Legislature. On Wednesday she exhorted Gov. Jerry Brown, who has not publicly outlined a plan for dealing with the immigration surge, to come to her district’s aid and to provide a broader plan.
“’My plea to the governor is find out what the end date is,’ Melendez said, adding she has been told by the U.S. Border Patrol that buses will pass through Murietta every 72 hours. ‘What’s the strategy?’”
In response to the drought, a state agency has proposed dramatic restrictions on water use – with significant penalties for violations. Kurtis Blow has the story in the San Francisco Chronicle:
“For the first time since the drought of the 1970s, state officials are looking to drive water conservation through mandatory restrictions - with fines of up to $500 for violators.
“A proposal by the State Water Resources Control Board, to be considered Tuesday in Sacramento, would bar residents from spraying down sidewalks, driveways and patios, watering lawns or gardens to the point of causing runoff, washing cars without a shut-off nozzle, and using potable water in fountains….
"’We're not trying to spank people. We're trying to ring a bell and get people's attention,’ said board Chairwoman Felicia Marcus, who unveiled the state plan on Wednesday. ‘We are in one of the worst statewide droughts in modern times.’"
In The Atlantic, James Fallows takes a long look at California’s High Speed Rail project. (Spoiler: he’s a fan.)
“A little more than a year ago, when I did an article on the successful second-act governorship of Jerry Brown, I said that among his major ambitions for the state was to create a north-south High-Speed Rail project, or HSR.
“…As I've read and interviewed over the past year, including on reporting trips to California's Central Valley, I've become more strongly in favor of the plan, and supportive of the Brown Administration's determination to stick with it. In installments to come I'll spell out further pros and cons of the effort, and why the pros seem more compelling.”
And, hard to believe, but it was ten years ago this week that online animation pioneers JibJab released “This Land,” a funny-as-hell animation lampooning the George Bush-John Kerry presidential race. The two and a half minute satire became a viral video sensation – even outside the political world. Ten years later, it’s still pretty damned funny.
