Getting to the polls

When it comes to getting out the vote, Secretary of State Alex Padilla knows the obstacles: He came from an immigrant family and it took his parents decades to finally become citizens.

From Scott Schafer at California Counts: "Of the estimated 6.7 million eligible but unregistered voters in California, the overwhelming majority are Latino and Asian-American. Many are from immigrant families, like his."

"I’m proud of my folks," Padilla says. "They emigrated here from Mexico in pursuit of the American dream. They worked very, very hard."
 

"But one thing they did not do, Padilla says, is instill in him and his brother and sister the importance of voting."

By the way, for a detailed look at Callifornia voting issues, take a look at this from California Counts, a new election-year collaboration of public broadcasters.

From Steven Cuevas, KQED; Ben Bradford, Capital Public Radio; Megan Burks, KPBS; Mary Plummer, KPCC; Sasha Khokha, KQED: "Throughout the year we'll be following a handful of communities, asking about the candidates, issues and circumstances that either drive people to the polls or keep them home on Election Day. And we'll explore other ways, besides voting, that Californians are engaging in the civic life of their communities."

"Our first stop is the South Los Angeles community of Watts just south of downtown L.A. Once a stronghold of African-American life and culture, Watts has changed a lot in recent decades. Many black families fled in the aftermath of riots in 1965 and 1992, or to escape gang violence and find work and cheaper housing in other places, like San Bernardino to the east or Lancaster in northern Los Angeles County."

"Watts remains one of the most densely packed sections of L.A., thanks in part to new Latino and Asian families moving in. Yet most voting precincts in the Watts area saw fewer than 22 percent of eligible voters cast a ballot in the 2014 general election."

Meanwhile, the Capitol's annual budget battle is under way, and one of the issues this year is what do do with more than $1 billion from California's cap-and-trade auctions to curb greenhouse gases.

From the LAT's Christine Mai Duc: "Now, with next year's budget proposal on the table, advocates and environmentalists remain anxious about what will become of the cache of funds raised through the state's cap-and-trade program — created as part of the landmark 2006 law to combat climate change."

"The money has been left unspent in the state's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund."

"By law, it must be used on programs to cut emissions — 60% is earmarked to pay for construction of a high-speed rail, affordable housing and other transportation programs. That portion already is being spent."

The dispute over the possible ouster of Executive Director Charles Lester at the California Coastal Commission is intensifying, with a lawmaker weighing in on Lester's side.

From Capitol Weekly's John Howard: "Assemblyman Marc Levine, D-San Rafael, said the commission staff, led by Lester, had prepared the commission’s first detailed strategic plan, resolved long-standing cases, got a $3 million budget increase to help support local conservation planning and climate change issues, among other achievements."

“I urge the Commissioners to consider their own actions first before hastily pointing fingers at Commission staff,” said Levine, the chair of the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee. He was referring to commission decisions to approve actions opposed by some environmentalists, including a major hotel project at Monterey Bay Shores and a sand-replenishment project on Broad Beach in Malibu."

Those three prisoners who skedaddled from an Orange County jail had inside help, according to local authorities.

From the LAT's Richard Winton, James Queally and Matt Hamilton: "A 44-year-old woman who worked as an English teacher at a Santa Ana jail was arrested Thursday on suspicion of helping three inmates mount a daring escape last week, officials said."

"The arrest comes after police and security experts suggested that fugitives Hossein Nayeri, Jonathan Tieu and Bac Duong received outside help when they broke out of the Men's Central Jail on Jan. 22."

"The woman, Nooshafarin Ravaghi, a Lake Forest resident, was an English as a Second Language teacher and had been working as a contracted employee at the jail for the last six months, according to Lt. Jeffrey Hallock, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department."

And for our recognition of who had the worst week in California, #WorstWeekinCA, we come to Dennis Arriola, the head of Southern California Gas, who has had to deal with that huge gas leak at the Aliso Canyon storage facility.

Thousands of people have been forced from their homes in Porter Ranch and nearby, the danger is high and the aroma is not pleasant -- to say the least.

This past week, state regulators said they would decide whether to permanently close the facility. They also ordered inspections of every other gas storage facility throughout California.

That was the week that was ...