The federal judge who ruled against Proposition 8 should have disqualified himself from hearing the case, according to a foes of gay marriage who have opened a new legal front in the case.
From the Chronicle's Bob Egelko: "The federal judge who struck down California's ban on
same-sex marriage should have disqualified himself because he is a gay man with
a longtime partner and he could marry as a result of his ruling, sponsors of
the ballot measure said in a court filing Monday."
"Opening a new front in the battle over Proposition 8, its
proponents said former Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker's recent
comments about his 10-year relationship, which he had not disclosed during the
trial, show that his "impartiality might reasonably have been questioned
from the outset."
"No man can be a judge in his own case," said
Charles Cooper, lawyer for the opponents of same-sex marriage. Because Walker
has never disavowed the possibility that he will marry his partner, he had a
"clear and direct stake in the outcome" of his own ruling, Cooper
said."
Meanwhile, is the middle class departing California's public school system? The Mercury News' Sharon Noguchi takes a look.
"It's the hot topic outside the kindergarten room, at
fundraising tables and after morning drop-off. Parents are asking: How much
more can California lop off public education before they bolt for private
schools? For public schools, 2011-12 could be a turning point."
"In recent years schools have endured incremental cuts and
annual angst. But with dramatic reductions to the school year, program and
staffing expected, many families are contemplating a deposit on a private
school."
"Local private schools report this spring that inquiries
and enrollment are up, and one school that closed several years ago, Calvary
Christian Academy in San Jose, even plans to reopen in August. Bellarmine College Preparatory received a record
1,000-plus applications, most for its 400-member freshman class. Several other
schools estimated that inquiries and applications are up 25 percent. That
includes Valley Christian, which hopes to increase enrollment 5 percent
annually for the next few years, Admissions Director Scott Wessling said."
The $35 million exit package for departing PG&E chief Peter Darbee will be paid for by the company's shareholders and not the public. The move came just days after Gov. Brown publicly warned that ratepayers should not be left on the hook.
From Paul Rogers and Steve Johnson in the Mercury News: "On Friday, Terrie Prosper, a spokeswoman for the
California Public Utilities Commission, the agency that regulates PG&E,
said ratepayers would be asked to pay $9.6 million of Darbee's $35 million
retirement package. The $9.6 million is Darbee's pension, and was approved by
the PUC as part of a wider pension program in 2009, she said. Most of the rest
of Darbee's retirement will come in the form of company stock."
"But on Monday, in the wake of PG&E's announcement,
Prosper said in an email that the PUC will direct PG&E "to credit $9.6
million to ratepayers in its accounts immediately, provide an audited
accounting of the credit, and return that amount to ratepayers."
"Neither Prosper nor PUC Executive Director Paul Clanon
returned calls Monday, however, to explain whether the money would come in the
form of a credit on ratepayers' bills, or some other method, such as a slight
reduction in the profit the PUC allows PG&E to earn in a future year.
PG&E last year reported a $1.1 billion profit."
Darbee seems to be making out a lot better than those who are struggling to fill their cars with fuel to get to work: The cost of gasoline is heading toward new heights. The LA Times' Ronald D. White has the story.
"Memorial Day fun probably won't stretch to
the fuel pump this year: The relentless surge in gasoline prices means the
traditional start of the summer driving season could test records set in 2008,
analysts said."
"California drivers watched the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline
climb closer to the state's all-time high of $4.588 a gallon, rising 1.2 cents
to $4.217 during the week ended Monday, the Energy Department said. The U.S.
average rose 3.5 cents to $3.879 a gallon, still short of the nation's peak of $4.114,
according to the agency's weekly survey of fuel retailers."
"In Hawaii, according to a different fuel-price survey conducted daily for AAA, gasoline set a record high on Monday at $4.537 for a
gallon of regular fuel. In Wailuku on Maui, the state's highest price was
approaching $5 a gallon at $4.909."
A U.S. study shows that climate change may not dramatically affect precipitation or runoff in California. Bettina Boxall in the L.A. Times tells the tale.
"Temperatures could rise 5 degrees to 7 degrees this
century, increasing evaporation, and the spring snow pack will drop sharply in
much of the West, changing the timing of peak runoff, which is crucial for the
state's irrigated agriculture."
"Some regions, such as the Columbia River Basin in the Pacific Northwest and the
Missouri River Basin, are expected to grow wetter. The Southwest will probably
become drier, while California is a bit of a question mark."
"Precipitation and runoff in the Sacramento River watershed — a vital source of
water for much of the state, including Southern California — may increase a bit
by mid-century and then decline somewhat. Average annual runoff, which is key
to filling reservoirs, could drop 3.6% in the century's final decades, while
annual precipitation may decline 2.7%"
