Our post earlier today that Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria, was probably going to be named lieutenant governor was right on the mark. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said late this afternoon that he will nominate Maldonado to the post. Here's the Sacramento Bee story on the LG decision. He did [...]
UPDATED
It appears that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has narrowed his nomination for lieutenant governor to Sen. Dave Cogdill, R-Modesto, and Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria. That's the simple political math in a calculation that others have made way too complicated. A decision is expected by tomorrow. There's an outside chance [...]
TMZ.com, the celebrity Web site, caught Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger parking his Porsche in a red zone in Beverly Hills this weekend. Click here to see the TMZ photos of the governor and his Porsche. I also don't see a front license plate on the Porsche. Isn't that illegal, or [...]
The census required by the U.S. Constitution comes next year and we need to count every resident in our region so that we get our fair share of state and federal funds. Otherwise, our taxes are subsidizing other regions that do a better job of counting their residents. Most government [...]
It's Thanksgiving week and that's the time that Fresno State fans traditionally talk about getting rid of Bulldogs coach Pat Hill. Who cares if this year's team is 7-4 overall, 6-2 in the Western Athletic Conference and will go to a bowl game? Let's also ignore [...]
Longtime Fresno lawyer Phil Fullerton says it's the right decision to hold the trials of the five terrorists in federal court in New York: "Political attacks on the Obama administration's decision to hold the trial of five terrorists in federal court in New York rather than have a trial before" [...]
California Attorney General Jerry Brown ruled Thursday that the California Citizens Compensation Commission can cut the salaries of state lawmakers, setting in motion an 18% pay cut for members of the Assembly and Senate. The salary reduction will take effect Dec. 7, and reduce legislators' pay from $116,208 a' [...]
The news is not good for President Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats on the political front. Obama's popularity has dropped below 50% in public opinion polls and independents, who often provide the margin of victory in national elections, aren't backing Democratic policies.
That suggests big problems for Democrats in next year's [...]
The Amtrak trip to San Diego is about two hours longer than driving, but it's a lot less stressful than maneuvering your car through Southern California traffic. I visited my daughter in San Diego over the weekend to see her new apartment, and took the [...]
I can really relate to this column last week by Paul Silva: Tethered by texts -- new parent/child bond:
"On a typical weekend, I type more words to my younger son than I speak to him." But unlike the author -- "This is not an optimal form of" [...]UPDATED
The water bond passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to repair California's water system. Most Californians don't think there's a water crisis because they can turn on their taps and sprinklers and out comes the water. But one break in the crumbling water' [...]
A recent Bee letter writer criticized police officers. Not surprisingly, that brought on a barrage of letters in support of the police. You can read the letters by clicking here.
Here's part of one of the letters:
"In response to V. Diane Corbin's question, "What would you tell your child [...]
In this five-minute video clip, California First Lady Maria Shriver touts ice cream called "Lovin' Scoopful" on The Colbert Report to benefit Special Olympics. Shriver also is asked about her recent illegal cell phoning, whether the job of California First Lady is really that interesting, and her husband's odd breakfasts.' [...]
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will visit troops in Iraq next week, according to The Sacramento Bee. Schwarzenegger visited the troops before he was governor, but this will be the first time he'll go as California's chief executive.
Here's more from the SacBee story:
Schwarzenegger previously visited troops on United Service Organizations-sponsored tours' [...]
"Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed - else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die." ~Dwight D. Eisenhower
On this day, I give [...]
HandsOn Central California is partnering with the city of Fresno to host Serve Fresno Day beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday. This is a time when families, businesses, church leaders and community members join together as part of a movement to strengthen families, our community, local businesses and non-profit organizations.
Serve Fresno [...]
I love San Francisco. But I sure couldn't live there if my car were my primary mode of transportation. The great thing about a big city like San Francisco is you can function, even thrive, without a car.
I just spent the weekend there, the second one I've [...]
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger offered an idea Monday that he says might have less political opposition than building a peripheral canal to transport water around the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta. It would be an underground canal -- similar to the one in his movie "Total Recall." The governor actually [...]
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger gave his take on California's water challenges, the state budget problems and who might be the next lieutenant governor during a 61-minute meeting with The Bee's editorial board Monday. He went to The Bee after signing a part of the water reform package during a ceremony at [...]
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will be at Friant Dam at 2 p.m. today to sign the package of water reform bills. The package includes an $11.1 billion bond to build dams and pay for other water infrastructure improvements. The bond will have to be approved by voters at next November's general' [...]
Today's editorial discusses the many failures of the parole system that led to the kidnapping and holding of Jaycee Lee Dugard for 18 years. There were many missed opportunities for parole agents to discover that Dugard was being held captive by Phillip Garrido.
Click here to read the complete editorial.
"The" [...]
Mark W. Holmerud, bishop of the Sierra Pacific synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and John T. Steinbock, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno, wrote a commentary in today's Fresno Bee calling on Congress to reform health care. You can click here to read the [...]
Comedian Paul Rodriguez, who helped lead the California Latino Water Coalition, appeared with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at an event in Los Angeles today. He suggested the next dam be named after Schwarzenegger, and talked about the water coalition:
Some of you are wondering, what the hell am I doing here? I [...]One of the criticisms of the $11.1 billion water bond is that California has passed so many bonds that the financially strapped state won't be able to handle the annual debt service on this huge bond. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said the bond is structured in a way that will make' [...]
Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria, has moved to the top of the lieutenant governor list. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will make the appointment now that Democrat John Garamendi is going to Congress. That shows the lack of clout in the Lt. Guv job, by the way. Garamendi would rather be one [...]
UPDATED
State Sen. Dave Cogdill, the Modesto Republican, played a crucial role in representing San Joaquin Valley water and farming interests in the historic water legislation passed this morning by the Legislature. He kept the negotiators' attention on the need for a bond to pay for storage facilities, including dams and' [...]
UPDATED
This just in from Mayor Ashley Swearengin's office: "Eddie J. Aubrey of Federal
Way, Wash., who has 29 years of public service experience as a former police officer,
deputy prosecuting attorney and judge, as the city of Fresno's first director of the Office of Independent Review."
That means there will be some disruption to the normal traffic flow this weekend, especially from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday morning, in Northeast Fresno and Clovis. Plan ahead: How will you get to your church that morning, if that's part of your Sunday routine?
A lot of [...]
Supporters of gay marriage lost a crucial vote in Maine Tuesday in an election that had national implications on the trend toward acceptance of same-sex marriage. Maine's voters repealed a state law that would have allowed same-sex couples to wed. But this is what has supporters of gay marriage [...]
In response to my blog posting on Sunday criticizing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his administration for the problems on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and other infrastructure challenges in the state, the administration just emailed this statement. It is from Dale Bonner, the governor's cabinet secretary for California's Business, [...]
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger could be choosing his own lieutenant governor if a special congressional election goes as predicted on Tuesday. Lt. Gov. John Garamendi is expected to win the 10th Congressional District seat, That would vacate the lieutenant governor's post.
The Sacramento Bee reports a long list of possible appointments, [...]
Radio talker Rush Limbaugh said on Fox News Sunday that President Barack Obama has a big ego. This is a subject that Limbaugh has some expertise in.
"I think he's got an out-of-this-world ego," said Limbaugh. "He's very narcissistic. And he's able to focus all attention on him all the time." [...]
UPDATED
One of the raps against the Schwarzenegger administration is the lack of attention to details on matters affecting the daily life of Californians. The emergency closure of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge is the latest example. The bridge was shut down after two rods and a crossbar broke Tuesday evening, [...]
This just in from the AP: "San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom ends race for California governor, clearing Democratic field." The decision leaves Attorney General Jerry Brown as the only Democrat in next year's California governor's race.
The San Francisco Chronicle had this quote from Newsom:
"With a young family and responsibilities at" [...]
McClatchy Newspapers are reporting that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said in Washington that the veto statement containing an obscene message to a political foe was a "wild coincidence." It was wild all right. The kind of wild whopper you tell your parents when you can't come up with a decent' [...]
High-profile Fresno defense attorney Richard Berman got into an altercation at the security check point at the Madera County Courthouse so we're doing an informal poll here at Opinion Talk. Was Berman being reasonable, or a pain in the rear to the Madera County security agents?
Here are the issues from' [...]
I have to agree with Bill McEwen's column today. With two officer-involved fatal shootings in two days (here and here), people are going to raise questions. No matter how justified the shootings may turn out to be, the community will expect clear answers.
So far this year, [...]
I've been critical of the shoddy roadwork on Shaw Avenue over the past several years, and that hasn't made me many friends at City Hall. My interest in this crucial roadway caused me to watch the latest construction work closely. It appears to my untrained eyes that this version of [...]
The Sacramento Bee's Capitol Alert and the Los Angeles Times are reporting that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger may have put an obscene phrase in a veto message that targeted a San Francisco Assembly member who had earlier jeered the governor.
"The phrase, 'F--- You,' is spelled out by the first letter of'" [...]
Syndicated columnist Clarence Page's column in today's Fresno Bee takes on the Obama's administration's war on Fox News. Here's is Page's opening paragraph:
"Surely President Obama and his advisors don't really think that their feud with Fox News will do anything but enhance the cable network's viewership. A deeper problem is'" [...]
California First Lady Maria Shriver, after apologizing for talking illegally on the cell phone while driving, has been videotaped by celebrity Web site TMZ.com illegally parking her Cadillac Escalade in a red zone in Santa Monica. Note to Maria: If they are following you around with a camera, stop [...]
Capitol insiders say state lawmakers are moving toward a water reform package that would upgrade California's water system, and allow it to serve the state's 38 million people. The current water system was constructed for 19 million people and doesn't adequately serve urban and agricultural users or allow enough water' [...]
Forner Fresno City Council Member Garry Bredefeld, who supported building the downtown stadium, says the Fresno Grizzlies should not have their rent reduced. In a commentary in today's Fresno Bee, Bredefeld says the owners of the Grizzlies need to improve their business model and the city can help. But he [...]
It's great to see a spirited community discussion about public art. It's sad when vandals decide to add their "voice" in a way that damages the art in question.
According to an article on The Bee's website:
A controversial mural being painted in the Tower' [...]
Have you noticed all the letters you've been receiving from your credit card companies that are changing the terms of your agreement? They are raising interest rates and fees on previous balances to beat a reform law that will outlaw that practice. It doesn't matter if you have a solid [...]
UPDATED
A new study says 84% of college students text while driving, and this obsession with cell phones is dangerous. Fresno State professor Tamyra Pierce has been studying texting, and she says the trend has skyrocketed in just two years. A 2007 study reported that 62% of college students were texting [...]
Get up on Saturday morning and head over to the Lowell Elementary School at 171 N. Poplar Ave. and spend a few hours volunteering on Make A Difference Day. People will start gathering at 8 a.m. and you'll be asked to work from 9 a.m. until 11 on cleaning up' [...]
As my readers know, I've complained for years about the shoddy roadwork on Shaw Avenue where the roadbed collapses after the city does repaving work. My main example is the left-turn lanes on eastbound Shaw turning north on Fresno Street. Those lanes collapsed shortly after they were put in (for' [...]
The bears at Yosemite National Park figure that minivans will yield the greatest treasure of food over a clean luxury car. A study just out says bears break into minivans more often than any other vehicle.
The reason is simple. Minivans most often are the vehicle of choice for young [...]
