The Roundup

Abel Maldonado, a Republican and a likely contender for governor, smacked Gov. Brown's prison policies only to find out that the offender he used to prove his point was the wrong man. The 2014 gubernatorial campaign has begun, and so far Willie Horton isn't playing a role.

From the LAT's Paige St. John: "A potential gubernatorial candidate's use of the wrong offender to stir opposition to Gov. Jerry Brown's prison crowding policies drew a sharp rebuke Thursday from an NAACP official who called it "Willie Horton-style racial politics."

"Abel Maldonado, former Republican lieutenant governor, on Wednesday announced a statewide campaign to repeal Brown's program, which required counties to take custody of thousands of felons and parole violators who once served those terms in state prison. Maldonado, who says he probably  will run for governor in 2014, says Brown's policy amounts to "early release" in counties where jails lack room for those offenders. Maldonado used as an example Jerome Rogers, a transient accused of murdering an elderly San Bernardino woman, and he stood next to a large poster of the black man's arrest photo during his televised news conference."

"However, The Times reported that Rogers was not affected by Brown's prison policy. Corrections records show he was released from state prison in 2000 and finished parole in 2003."

California's top cop says banking behemoth JPMorgan Chase crossed the line when it sought money from thousands of people with unpaid credit card balances.

From the AP's Don Thompson: "California's attorney general sued one of the nation's largest banks Thursday, alleging that JPMorgan Chase & Co. used illegal tactics in its debt collection efforts against about 100,000 credit card holders."

"The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court says the company filed thousands of debt collection lawsuits each month between 2008 and April 2011 using improper practices that shortcut procedures required by California law."

"JPMorgan Chase spokesman Paul Hartwick said the company had no comment."

If you live in Oakland and your house is burgled, the chances of finding the crook are slim to none.

From the Chronicle's Matthew Kuruvila:The Oakland Police Department has been so ineffectively structured that only one part-time investigator was assigned to handle 10,000 reported burglaries last year, a stunning deficiency revealed Thursday by police consultants hired by the city to develop a crime-fighting plan..."

"The revelation came one day after Howard Jordan abruptly stepped down as Oakland's police chief, citing long-term medical reasons, and as the consultants and city officials released a brief six-page summary of the consultants' crime plan."

"City officials refused to release the full plan Thursday, saying they needed to review it before releasing it on Friday. But sources said the plan had been given to Jordan on Sunday."

Speaking of Oakland, the level of crime in the city -- always high -- is getting worse.

From the Oakland Tribune's MJatthew Artz: "The consultants recommended creating geographically-based investigative units to better respond to burglaries and robberies. They also called for major changes in the city's Compstat process -- a weekly high-level data-crunching session that uses crime mapping to focus top commanders and district leaders on identifying hot spots and responding to crime trends."

"When this is fully implemented, this is going to ... reduce crime in the city," Patrick Harnett, a retired Hartford police chief and longtime Bratton associate, said at a Thursday news conference. Bratton did not attend the event."

"City leaders turned to Bratton and his associates earlier this year after a particularly violent 2012 during which the city recorded 131 homicides and averaged 12 robberies and 33 burglaries a day.'

The state program to put the federal health care reforms into effect is mounting a major outreach effort to educate Californians about the law.

From the Bee's Jim Sanders: "The awarding of two-year grants, from $250,000 to $1 million apiece, will push a nationwide health care program from blackboard planning into a vital new phase of face-to-face contact with families."

"It's one of the most critical components of getting our message out," said Dana Howard,spokesman for Covered California, the state health insurance exchange that is helping to implement the overhaul by creating a marketplace for comparing coverage plans."

"The goal is to create a network of established, trusted groups in communities statewide, not only to promote coverage but to answer questions, discuss options and show how subsidies can cut premiums for families of four earning up to $92,000, according to Howard."