Despite California's severe drought, and Gov. Jerry Brown's call to reduce consumption, water use is on the rise.
Don Thompson reports for the Associated Press: ""Not everybody in California understands how bad this drought is ... and how bad it could be," she said. "There are communities in danger of running out of water all over the state.""
"The report says overall consumption jumped 1 percent, even as Gov. Jerry Brown has called for a 20 percent cutback. It corrected survey results released just a month ago that said use statewide had declined by 5 percent."
"The earlier survey prompted the water board to consider the most drastic response yet to California's drought — imposing fines on water wasters."
A survey provided by the State Water Resource and Control Board details where the state is consuming, rather than saving, H2O.
The Mercury News illustrates the numbers: "A survey revealed that Californians have increased their water usage amid the worst drought to hit the state in decades."
"Meanwhile, California decided on Tuesday to come down hard on water wasters by imposing fines of up to $500 per violation."
The effort to split California up six-ways is much more likely to cause headaches than harbor any solution.
Carla Marinucci and John Wildermuth report in the San Francisco Chronicle: "Questions, for example, about who would run the labyrinthine network that delivers water to arid regions with millions of people, how California's multibillion-dollar pension obligations would be paid, and how the University of California and state college systems would be divided can all be worked out, Draper said."
"Working out those troubles, however, can cause more difficulties than the Six Californias initiative was designed to solve, said Corey Cook, an associate professor of politics at theUniversity of San Francisco."
""It's a solution in search of a problem," he said of Draper's plan. "There's a mythology that this just provides a fresh start, but how do you disentangle 150 years of fiscal controls and arrangements?""
But if voters do decide to split up the state, Los Angeles is prepared to rise as a major economic powerhouse of the nation.
Allen Young reports int he Sacramento Business Journal: "The five-county Los Angeles region is the nation’s fourth largest economy among states, ranking only behind California, Texas and New York, according to new findings from the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy."
There's no better time to be an unemployed California teacher than now.
Claudia Melendes Salinas reports in the Santa Cruz Sentinel: "Usually, school districts have done their hiring by spring, said Rosa Coronado, assistant superintendent of human resources at the Monterey County Office of Education. But this year, more recruiters showed up to the second annual teacher recruitment fair at MCOE than last year, Coronado said."
""There seems to be more openings across the county," she said. "There's more money because of the LCFF.""
Tribune Co. owned publications like the Los Angeles Times will spin off in early August.
Dylan Byers rerports in Politico: "In a memo to staff, Tribune CEO Peter Liguori expressed "extreme gratitude and respect for all of our publishing employees for their efforts over the course of the company's history and the current leadership who led the charge to establish an independent Tribune Publishing.""
"Tribune Publishing's outlets are "financially sound and well-positioned for success, powered by award-winning journalism, great original content, innovative technologies, and a continuing commitment to serve the communities in which they are located," Liguori wrote."
