L.A. Times - California Politics

Ridley-Thomas won't release any communications involving associate

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

E-mails, memos and letters involving Expo Line, Cynthia McClain-Hill and contractors that employed her were sought.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas has declined to release any records of communications between his office and a longtime associate who has been employed by corporations that do millions of dollars of business with the county and a rail project that Ridley-Thomas helps oversee.

Schwarzenegger taps Abel Maldonado for lieutenant governor

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The Republican has crossed the aisle on some key votes and also aspires to being elected to the job next year, making his confirmation by the full Legislature less than certain.

State Sen. Abel Maldonado, a moderate Republican from Santa Maria who has parted with his caucus on key votes at the request of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, has been chosen by Schwarzenegger to be the next lieutenant governor.

Committee finds mayor's gang office should be made independent

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Taking Los Angeles' $20-million gang intervention and prevention programs out of the governor's auspices would allow for more transparency and City Council oversight, ad hoc panel reports.

The city of Los Angeles should create a standalone department of gang prevention and intervention instead of relying on the mayor's office to oversee anti-gang programs as it does now, according to a report released Monday.

L.A. City Council is poised to debate how many pot dispensaries to allow

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The number of shops selling marijuana has exploded from 186 two years ago. Officials hope to impose some order by capping the number of outlets or by requiring a certain distance between stores.

For a moment two years ago, Los Angeles officials thought they knew how many marijuana dispensaries the city had: 186. That's how many registered to operate under the city's moratorium. The city quickly lost control, and the number soared: 500, 600, 800, now perhaps 1,000.

California budget's going to be dreadful

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:32:00 -0800

Until long-term structural issues are fixed, there is no way legislators can produce an honest spending plan so the state lives within its means.

The Capitol's budget oracle projects $20.7 billion in new red ink for the next 19 months. Here's my projection: More punting, "kicking the can down the alley" and numbers-rigging.

Poor California: No money and no leadership

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Only one person who wants to be governor is talking about the budget, and few are listening.

In the new movie "2012," whose video trailers were bombarding television airwaves last week, the world as we know it gives way three years hence under a siege of floods, eruptions, undulating continents and earthquakes. In other words, it's not much different from what is happening in California, fiscally speaking, except that the state will be lucky to hang on that long.

After spending billions, state remains hampered by outmoded, unreliable computer systems

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

An embarrassing legacy of cost overruns, botched upgrades and failed networking projects has left California to rely on decades-old technology and jury-rigged software systems.

California may be known as the cradle of computer innovation, but several state agencies can't get their computers to perform essential functions despite hundreds of millions of dollars in cost overruns for repair and upgrade work.

California lawmakers, officials face 18% pay cut

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Legislative leaders had challenged the authority of the state's independent pay commission after it voted to trim salaries. But Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown's opinion says the panel can cut compensation.

California's Legislature went to state Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown recently seeking relief from a future pay cut and on Thursday received an unwelcome surprise: An 18% reduction for lawmakers and other elected state officials can begin next month instead of a year from now.

L.A. County hate crimes drop 4%

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

But gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people were targeted more often, prompted in part by last November's highly charged Prop. 8 initiative, report says.

Los Angeles County saw an overall 4% drop in hate crimes last year, while crimes against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people increased, prompted in part by last November's highly charged Proposition 8 initiative, the voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage in California, according to a report released Thursday.

California voters want a no-pork diet

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The water bond proposal written and passed by the Legislature needs a major rewrite, with an emphasis on de-larding it.

No matter how clever and careful the writer, on occasion a work should be ripped up and retooled. That also goes for writers of legislation.