The fate of
Stanley "Tookie" Williams is now in the hands of
Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Bee's Andy Furillo reports "Williams, 51, is scheduled to be executed Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. unless Schwarzenegger grants him clemency or his lawyers obtain an emergency court stay."
"Schwarzenegger spokeswoman Margita Thompson said the Republican governor will issue his written clemency decision
sometime between today and Monday."
Meanwhile, the California Republican Assembly is now officially calling on the California Republican Party to
reconsider it's endorsement of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Apparently, the "state’s oldest Republican volunteer organization" was confused and meant to
endorse an Australian, not an Austrian, for next year's election.
Meanwhile, the governor's administration is on the offensive for California's environment. The governor's Climate Action Team
released recommendations yesterday for reducing greenhouse gases, which may lead to higher fees on diesel and gasoline, report Edie Lau and Chris Bowman in the Bee.
"The draft proposals fill in the blanks of an executive order Schwarzenegger issued in June, giving California the most aggressive goals in the world for fighting global warming. He commanded the state to reduce 'greenhouse gas' emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050."
"The proposals will be aired in public meetings in coming weeks. A final version of the plan is due to the governor and the Legislature in January."
Tim Reiterman writes for the Times "A new regulation adopted unanimously by the state Air Resources Board would
force foreign and domestic cargo and cruise ships to switch from heavy diesel to lighter, cleaner fuel whenever they are using auxiliary engines near or in port." The rules apply as far out as 24 miles offshore.
"The agency said the rules — effective Jan. 1, 2007 — would affect about 80% of the 1,900 vessels that visit California ports each year but would not have a significant effect on shipping industry revenue or cruise ship fares."
T.L. Garrett, VP of the Pacific Merchant Association, says that the organization shares the goals of cleaner air, but that "'[t]here is a fundamental question of whether a state can extend its jurisdiction outside its territory of three nautical miles,' he said, adding that the association would not consider legal action until the regulation is finalized."
"Three of California's most powerful regulatory agencies
filed sweeping indictments Thursday of how the Bush administration reached its conclusion that the proposed Long Beach liquefied natural gas terminal would be safe," writes Deborah Schoch for the Times.
"The detailed comments from the PUC, the California Energy Commission and the California Coastal Commission could help lay the groundwork for a possible legal test of the report."
"The PUC also faults federal regulators for failing to review recent liquefied natural gas accidents, including a little-publicized accident in September near Fernley, Nev., in which a
small leak caused a fire so fierce that emergency teams were forced to move back a mile from the site."
Los Angeles City Controller
Laura Chick has decided not to run for state controller. "As I pondered whether or not to run, my thoughts always came back to the job I have now...the job I love and the job I'm not yet finished doing. For that reason,
I am announcing that I will not be a candidate for State Controller."
From our
Headline of the Day files: Chron web editors chose "
Virgin Coming to San Francisco" to label a story about planned low-fare air carrier Virgin America's plan to headquarter operations in San Francisco. The print version used a less tantalizing headline.
And finally, from our
Ho Ho Ho Files, a Rhode Island man has created
a Christmas shrine to heiress and fashion brat Paris Hilton. "The over-the-top pictorial is the work of
Joe Moretti, a 38-year-old designer who was arrested last year for trespassing on
Martha Stewart's property in Maine."
Ah, the spirit of Christmas.
