Covered California, the state's arm of the federal Affordable Care Act, has been overwhelmed with people wanting to sign up for health insurance coverage.
From the AP's Tom Verdin: "The agency overseeing California's health insurance exchange offered a bit of breathing room for consumers who tried but failed to meet Monday's deadline for coverage starting in the new year, as its website and call centers were overwhelmed by last-minute demand."
"It did not formally extend the sign-up deadline beyond Monday, as the Obama administration did for the 36 states using the federal health insurance exchange. But as high volume threatened to undermine the deadline-day attempts of thousands of consumers, the agency offered help for people who were trying to enroll."
A judge has ruled that San Jose can't force municipal workers to donate more towards their retirement, but left in place cost-cutting provisions that prompted rivals to both declare victory.
From the Mercury News' Mike Rosenberg: "Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Patricia Lucas' tentative decision released Monday prohibits the city from forcing current employees to contribute significantly more toward their pensions, as called for in last year's Measure B. But the ruling allows the city to cut employees' salaries to offset its increasing pension costs"
"That left each side claiming victory, even as both expected to appeal."
"Measure B called for existing employees, from cops to firefighters to bureaucrats, to pay 16 percent more toward their pensions to help cover some $3 billion in debt accumulated in the underfunded plans. Lucas ruled that invalid, arguing the city had long held itself solely responsible for such "unfunded liabilities" in the plan, creating a "vested right" for employees to have the city cover those debts."
The FBI's raid on the Capitol months ago brought a lot of attention but has spurred little in the way of reforming the political system, says the former head of the state's political ethics panel and now a contender for secretary of state.
From USC's Dan Schur: "In the months since the FBI raided the offices of Senator Ron Calderon, the most interesting thing that’s happened in the State Capitol is what hasn’t happened in the State Capitol."
"Bashing Calderon himself has become a favorite sport of other legislators, both belittling him verbally and then stripping him of his committee assignments. But unlike broader efforts for political reform that accompanied previous corruption scandals in state and national politics in years past, there has been barely a peep from politicians of either party about the need to clean up a system that has become consumed by non-stop fundraising. It is a testament to how isolated our elected officials have become from their constituents that so few of the law-abiding members of the legislature see the need to demonstrate their interest in cleaning up the swamp in which they work."
California is the nation's most populous state, and it also is home to the nation's largest population of Native Americans, according to the latest U.S. Census figures.
From the Bee's Dan Walters: "They may comprise less than 1 percent of California's 38 million residents, but the state — perhaps surprisingly to many — has the nation's largest population of Native Americans, a new Census Bureau report reveals."
"The state-by-state and tribe-by-tribe reports list 352,427 American Indians and Alaskan Natives in California, and only Oklahoma's 313,305 approach California's numbers."
Read more here: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2013/12/california-has-nations-largest-native-american-population.html#storylink=cpy
Fires are fires, but when they burn in spectacular Big Sur in late December, it seems even more tragic.
From the Chronicle's Kurtis Alexander: "Thirty-four homes were destroyed in the late-season wildfire that continues to smolder in Big Sur, a dozen more than were initially reported, fire officials said Monday."
"The new number came after firefighters contained the 917-acre blaze Friday and were better able to assess damage along Pfeiffer Ridge Road, a wooded area west of Highway 1 in Los Padres National Forest where most of the structures were lost."
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Happy Holidays!
