From our
For What It's Worth Files, the Capitol was abuzz yesterday with rumors that a deal had almost been reached on a bond package for the November ballot. Legislative sources say the governor tried to call a meeting of the Big 5, just as a deal was about hammered out, but that legislative leaders told the governor, in essence, they were too busy negotiating to come downstairs...
Meanwhile, "[a]n agreement announced Tuesday between state and federal agencies
ensures that 29 eroding levees will be fixed by Nov. 1, officials said, and it also ensures the state gets credit for its share of the costs," report Matt Weiser and David Whitney in the Bee.
"The agreement is a result of Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's directive to repair the erosion sites under an emergency declaration. He had hoped for a similar declaration from
President Bush."
"That didn't happen. But various federal agencies agreed to speed up the processing of plans and permits to ensure the work gets done."
"'It gives us what we needed. It definitely works for us,' said
Lester Snow, director of the state Department of Water Resources. 'There is no question we will be in completion of all 29 sites by November.'"
However, Dan Walters cautions that, if this year's huge snowpack melts too fast,
November may be too late. "We may dodge the bullet this year, but with global warming experts saying California will be receiving more of its annual precipitation as rain and less as snow, and with our population continuing its strong growth, the potential peril will be perpetual."
"For the second year in a row, business-oriented political action committees are coming under fire for
making big campaign contributions without having to immediately disclose where they're getting their money," reports Andy Furillo in the Bee.
"This time, supporters of actor-director Rob Reiner's preschool initiative have filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission accusing four business PACs opposed to the measure of not fully disclosing the source of their campaign funds."
Since the big contributions are being passed through general purpose committees rather than a primarily formed committee, late contribution reports are not required to be filed under Prop. 34.
"Republican Secretary of State
Bruce McPherson and his two Democratic challengers, Sens.
Debra Bowen of Marina Del Rey and
Deborah Ortiz of Sacramento, agree that general purpose committees should be subject to the same requirements as the other campaign groups."
"Four years after federal investigators began probing civil rights violations at California's mental hospitals,
prosecutors filed a consent decree in federal court in Los Angeles on Tuesday that lays out a road map for sweeping reform under a court-appointed monitor," writes Lee Romney in the Times.
"The 90-page decree — filed simultaneously with a lawsuit that it aims to resolve — spells out a detailed prescription to prevent suicides and assaults, reduce the use of seclusion and restraints and offer more personalized care to the state's 5,000 or so mentally ill patients."
"'I think it's a fair resolution,' said
John Rodriguez, deputy director of the Department of Mental Health. 'We know exactly what we need to achieve and how to achieve it.'"
Speaking of investigations, "Assemblywoman
Jackie Goldberg said Tuesday that she will heed a call for
an investigation into conflict charges leveled by a faculty union against William Hauck, powerful California State University trustee, influential business leader and friend of the governor," reports the Merc's Becky Bartindale.
"Goldberg, D-Los Angeles, said she would request an investigation today through the Joint Legislative Audit Committee into whether Hauck has a conflict of interest because of his $300,600-a-year job as president of the California Business Roundtable, which advocates for student fee increases and against higher taxes."
Is it the job or the anti-taxes position that puts him in conflict with CSU policy?
From our
Let There Be Light Files: "The Bureau of State Audits
reported this morning that the University of California's compensation practices are rife with problems, including such mistakes as overpaying one employee by $130,000 and 'improperly' boosting retirement benefits for others," report Tanya Schevitz and Todd Wallack in the Chron.
"The 137-page audit found that administrators at some UC campuses sometimes circumvented or violated university compensation policies, resulting in questionable forms of compensation and improper payments. At the same time, the auditors found, the UC president's office granted so many exceptions to policies that it may 'create a culture of noncompliance.'"
"'We question whether the regents' and the university's policies provide the transparency necessary to ensure effective oversight of compensation by the regents,' the audit said."
We needed an auditor to come to that finding?
LA Observed reports California schools won't lose any money despite thousands of truants who walked out of school in recent immigrant protests. "Not only won't it cost the L.A. schools $2.1 million for yesterday's 27,000-plus protest absences, it pretty much won't hurt at all financially. School Me, the new Times blog on education, says that after April 15 each year public schools receive full state funding no matter how many students are absent. It's just the way the formulas work. By the way, one reason that more students didn't walk out to protest is that Advance Placement testing was scheduled yesterday at some schools."
Richard Riordan, fresh off bypass surgery,
takes columnist Steve Lopez out on a little bike ride, and Lopez lives to tell about it ... barely.
"Some of you may recall that the last time I did any serious bike riding I ended up in the hospital with a banged-up head and no idea what had happened. Still, I figured I ought to be able to keep up with a 76-year-old guy with a fresh zipper down the middle of his chest. But there were two very important things I failed to consider."
"First, Riordan is athletic and competitive. Second, he's had a few issues with my columns over the years."
"'I think he's trying to kill me,' I said to actor
Ed Begley Jr. as we pumped down San Vicente Boulevard with Riordan a half-mile in front of us, acting like
Lance Armstrong."
"Later, when we all bunched up at a traffic signal, Riordan told me I was going about it all wrong. He ordered me off the bike and had me adjust the seat higher, telling me to start pedaling on the balls of my feet.
If he would have had the nerve to talk to Gov. Schwarzenegger like that while working as his education czar, maybe Arnold wouldn't have gotten everything so screwed up."
From our
How You Do Say Anna Nicole In Your Language? Files: "A 33-year-old man in northern Malaysia has married a 104-year-old woman, saying mutual respect and friendship had turned to love, the Star newspaper said yesterday.
It was
Muhammad Noor Che Musa's first marriage and his wife's 21st, said the Star, which cited a report in a Malay-language tabloid. The ex-serviceman said he
found a sense of belonging after meeting
Wook Kundor, adding that he had initially sympathised with her because she was old and alone. "I am not after her money, as she is poor," he said. "Before meeting Wook, I never stayed in one place for long."
