Aaron Read
Edsource.org
Olson Hagel
Capitol Weekly
CA Leg Analyst
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Maplight.org
 
 

Updating . .   

Federal judge gives truckers reprieve from AB5 -- A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction to the California Trucking Association to temporarily stop enforcement of AB5 against motor carriers. The judge, U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez, had previously granted an 11th-hour emergency restraining order in the same case on New Year’s Eve, hours before the new law took effect on Jan. 1. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/16/20

Former L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca must report to prison by Feb. 5, judge rules -- Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca must report to prison by Feb. 5 to begin serving a three-year sentence for his role in a scheme to obstruct an FBI investigation of abuses inside the county’s jails, a judge ruled Thursday. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/16/20

The races to watch: California Senate primary -- California Democrats hit an apex in 2018 when they won three-quarters of seats in the state Assembly and Senate. Two years later, Republicans aim to reverse that trend. But in a state trending ever bluer — and in a presidential election year sure to generate high turnout — Democrats could push their high water-mark even higher. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 1/16/20

The races to watch: California Assembly primary -- The most competitive races in the Assembly are evenly split three ways: swing seats Democrats recently acquired and must defend, toss-up seats the GOP will try to hang onto, and open seats in partisan strongholds where members of the same party will fight it out. One Riverside-adjacent district is a test case for independents. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 1/16/20

The races to watch: California Congressional primary -- Everyone likes a good rematch. The “blue wave” that washed over the county in November 2018, flipping 41 congressional seats to the Democrats, crashed with particular force in California. The state’s Republican caucus in Washington lost half of its delegation — a measly 14 of 53 reduced to a measlier seven. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 1/16/20

An earlier say: Race to the White House runs through California -- President Trump can probably count on the lion’s share of the state’s Republican votes. But on the Democratic side there’s little chance that any one candidate will grab up all of the state’s 495 delegates. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 1/16/20

Your guide to the 2020 California Primary -- California: Get ready for your close-up. Long viewed as a cash-rich afterthought on the presidential campaign trail, the country’s largest state will finally have an early say in who will win each political party’s presidential nomination — and by extension, who will occupy the White House come January 2021. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 1/16/20

The new Proposition 13: A $15 billion bond for school facilities -- This Proposition 13 would authorize a $15 billion bond for school modernization and construction projects. Here’s how it would break down: $9 billion for K-12 schools, and $2 billion each for community colleges and the state’s two public university systems, the California State University and University of California. Ricardo Cano Calmatters -- 1/16/20

California, 13 other states sue to stop Trump’s food stamp cuts -- Adults would no longer receive grocery money under the Trump administration rule if they aren't working 20 or more hours per week. In California, about 400,000 would be affected in the first year. Jackie Botts Calmatters -- 1/16/20

Body cams contradict LAPD’s gang designations. It’s another milestone in their use -- Few issues have generated more controversy in California law enforcement circles than how police determine whether someone is a gang member. Mark Puente, Richard Winton, Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/16/20

Federal lawsuit alleges Santa Ana officers left two detainees in hot van for hours -- A federal lawsuit filed this week alleges that two Santa Ana employees left two federal detainees locked and chained inside a hot van for four hours after returning the pair from their court hearings. Jaclyn Cosgrove in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/16/20

Newsom to dispatch trailers, visit Oakland on homelessness tour -- Gov. Gavin Newsom will conclude his week-long statewide homelessness tour on Thursday in East Oakland, where trailers have been dispatched to an empty lot to provide temporary shelter. Anna Bauman in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/16/20

Housing on hold: Where 13 major developments stand -- As the Bay Area grapples with a massive regional housing shortage, many cities have sought a solution in megaprojects — massive developments that promise to deliver thousands of homes and to help stem the tide of displacement and homelessness. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/16/20

L.A.’s citation program is ‘unnavigable’ for homeless and disabled people, lawsuit argues -- Seven years ago, Los Angeles leaders decided to create a new, alternative system to handle minor violations of the Municipal Code such as drinking in public, riding a bicycle on the sidewalk or letting a dog run off leash. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/16/20

California’s behind on its 2030 climate goals. What’s at stake if it doesn’t catch up? -- California has done surprisingly well over the past decade meeting many of its big climate change goals, even as its economy has steadily grown. But now, as Australia burns, global temperatures continue to rise, and the Trump administration prepares to take the final steps this year to pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement, California is falling short of where it needs to be to hit its more ambitious 2030 targets, according to a new report released Thursday. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/16/20

Clean up cars and cement industry to reach California’s climate goals, report says -- California's current climate policies won't cut greenhouse gas pollution enough to meet the state's goals — but a new report says cleaning up cars and the cement industry could help. Rachel Becker Calmatters -- 1/16/20

Turning carbon into concrete could win UCLA team a climate victory — and $7.5 million -- The idea is gaining momentum as a promising climate solution. Called carbon utilization or carbon conversion, it involves taking CO2 emitted by power plants, steel factories, breweries and other industrial facilities and converting it into something practical — and profitable — rather than letting the greenhouse gas escape into the atmosphere. Julia Rosen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/16/20

Nancy Pelosi rips Facebook: ‘Their behavior is shameful’ -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took another swipe at Facebook on Thursday over the social media giant’s reluctance to police disinformation, calling its executives “accomplices for misleading the American people.” Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Cristiano Lima Politico -- 1/16/20

Wave of laptop thefts in Bay Area feeding massive black market -- Thieves are snatching laptops from unsuspecting victims with alarming audacity and violence, officials say, driven by a lucrative Bay Area black market where crooks can fetch $500 for a new Apple computer that could end up in Asia. Anna Bauman in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/16/20

Eight local community colleges will offer legal services to undocumented students -- Eight local community colleges, from Palomar and San Diego City to Grossmont and Southwestern, will be part of a pilot program offering free immigration-related resources that officials said are much-needed to serve undocumented students in a time of uncertainty. David Hernandez in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/16/20

Taylor: She left California to find an affordable place to live — and became a homeowner -- The last time I saw Crystal Chandler, in late December 2018, she was stressed out. So was her teenage daughter. “I thought we were going to be homeless,” Chandler said recently. “I didn’t know what we were going to do. It was just so overwhelming.” Otis R. Taylor Jr. in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/16/20

Fox: Change in Priorities for California Voters -- The new Public Policy Institute of California poll shows a continuing trend in voters moving their top priority in state spending from K-12 education to health and human services. The homelessness issue is undoubtedly fueling that movement. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 1/16/20

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

California governor restarts giant water tunnel project -- California’s governor has restarted a project to build a giant, underground tunnel that would pump billions of gallons of water from the San Joaquin Delta to the southern part of the state. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration on Wednesday issued a Notice of Preparation for the project, which is the first step in the state’s lengthy environmental review process. Adam Beam Associated Press Kurtis Alexander and Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/16/20

Newsom’s big move on homelessness may be just in political time, new poll suggests -- Homelessness has shot to the top of the list of concerns for California voters. A new poll finds nearly a third name homelessness or housing as what the state should focus on this year. Ben Christopher Calmatters Carla Marinucci and Jeremy B. White Politico Bryan Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/16/20

Skelton: Newsom can’t afford to ignore homelessness. It’s the top issue with voters -- The main reason California politicians are moving swiftly to remove homeless people from the streets is simple: Homelessness has become the public’s No. 1 state concern. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/16/20

Walters: A legal mandate to house the homeless? -- Numerically, 151,000 people in a state of 40 million are scarcely one-third of 1%. However, 151,000 is the latest official estimate of California’s homeless population, not only the most of any state but a quarter of the nation’s homeless. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 1/16/20

New Emails Show How U.S.C. Courted Lori Loughlin and Husband for Donations -- Even as Ms. Loughlin and her husband were conspiring, prosecutors say, to bribe their daughter’s way into the University of Southern California, the school itself was courting them for donations and offering special treatment of the daughter’s application, new emails disclosed in the college admissions case show. Kate Taylor in the New York Times$ -- 1/16/20

USC questioned whether Lori Loughlin’s daughters were really athletes a year before admissions scandal -- In March 2018, several high schools contacted USC, puzzled that certain students were being admitted as recruited athletes. Los Angeles’ Marymount High School, attended by actress Lori Loughlin’s two daughters, “doesn’t think either of the students are serious crew participants,” a USC employee wrote in an email. Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/16/20

California lawmaker demands probe of PG&E’s chief regulator -- A state lawmaker on Wednesday demanded an extensive review of the California Public Utilities Commission to determine whether regulators’ lax oversight enabled neglect at Pacific Gas & Electric that triggered catastrophic wildfires, a messy bankruptcy and exasperating blackouts. The request by Assemblyman Adam Gray could turn up the heat on the commission as it prepares to play a key role in determining PG&E’s future. Michael Liedtke Associated Press -- 1/16/20

California bill to restrict PG&E blackouts moves forward -- State Sen. Scott Wiener’s legislative attempt to rein in Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s forced blackouts advanced Wednesday even as some lawmakers indicated they are not yet sold on the measure. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/16/20

Body brokering, where addicts are sold as investments, can continue in sober homes, for now -- A bill forbidding “body brokering” in sober living homes — and slapping a $50,000 penalty on each occurrence — was sent back to the drawing board by the Senate Health Committee Wednesday, Jan. 15. For now, the move kills chances that sober homes in hundreds of Southern California neighborhoods will be forced to follow the same patient-recruitment rules that have recently been applied to licensed rehab centers. Teri Sforza in the Orange County Register -- 1/16/20

Clinton's Impeachment Ended This Man's Congressional Career, and Started Adam Schiff's -- James Rogan says he never wanted to be on the House Judiciary Committee, much less an impeachment manager prosecuting the case against President Bill Clinton. But he did. And it ended his career in politics. Scott Shafer KQED -- 1/16/20

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

‘No Indians’: Bay Area firm to pay $350,000 to settle claims of bias against Indian, Middle Eastern customers -- A Bay Area solar company that was accused of having a policy to deny service to people believed to be of Indian or Middle Eastern descent will pay $350,000 under a settlement with federal workplace regulators. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/16/20

Lighting industry withdraws challenge to California’s new bulb efficiency standards -- The lighting industry has dropped its challenge to California’s new efficiency standards for lightbulbs, which took effect this month while the Trump administration was rolling back similar requirements nationwide. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/16/20

Californians have subsidized Hollywood for a decade. Has it been worth it? -- In 10 years, California's film tax credit has grown threefold from $100 million to $330 million a year, signaling the state's willingness to defend Hollywood, a flagship industry. Adria Watson Calmatters -- 1/16/20

Bankers Flooding JPMorgan Event Bemoan San Francisco Squalor -- Hotel rates of $2,000 a night. Meeting-table rentals costing $150 an hour. Swank parties held steps from people bundled in sleeping bags on the street. Sophie Alexander and Riley Griffin Bloomberg -- 1/16/20

McClatchy Misses Debt and Pension Payments as Negotiations With Creditors Continue -- McClatchy Co., the second-largest newspaper publisher in the U.S. by circulation, skipped a $12 million debt-interest payment due Wednesday as it continues to negotiate with creditors to avoid a bankruptcy-court proceeding. Lukas I. Alpert in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/16/20

Uber’s new policies could encourage discrimination, advocates fear -- Advocates for minorities and low-income people fear that Uber’s recent overhaul of its ride processes could lead to discrimination against people traveling to neighborhoods some drivers perceive as less desirable. Drivers can now decline to take passengers to San Francisco’s Bayview-Hunters Point or East Oakland, for instance — areas already underserved by transportation. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/16/20

San Diego sues SDG&E for $35.6M over water project -- The dispute between the city of San Diego and San Diego Gas & Electric over the utility’s underground infrastructure obstructing a $1.4 billion city water recycling project is heading to court. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/16/20

Hollywood assistants are getting a pay raise from CAA -- Hollywood assistants, who have led a campaign to improve their pay and working conditions, are getting more money from one of the industry’s biggest talent agencies. Creative Artists Agency this month raised the starting salary of assistants by as much as $3 an hour. Wendy Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/16/20

Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds 

California targets companies with highly paid execs -- California is considering raising taxes on some of the country’s largest companies, but the size of the tax increase would depend on how much its highest-paid executive makes compared to its employees. The bigger the gap, the bigger the tax increase. Adam Beam Associated Press -- 1/16/20

Homeless  

‘We’re forced to turn to the police:’ SF advocates, police commissioners want fewer officers responding to homeless -- As a last resort, Rene Colorado says, he calls 911 at least two times a day — nearly every day — from his restaurant in the Tenderloin, asking for help with an aggressive mentally ill homeless person outside his door. He said he always calls the Homeless Outreach Team first, but they seldom respond fast enough. That leaves him with no choice, he said, but to call the police. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/16/20

Education 

UC Berkeley Ordered to Pay Student Instructors Who'd Been Underpaid for Years -- An arbitrator has ordered UC Berkeley to retroactively pay student instructors who had been underpaid for years, a total that could reach several million dollars. The university must also end the practice now, according to a union representing the students. Miranda Leitsinger KQED -- 1/16/20

No permission slips needed for sex ed in California schools, despite GOP effort -- California Democrats blocked a contentious bill on Wednesday that would have required parents to sign permission slips for their younger kids to attend sex education classes in school. Today, sex education instruction is required “at least once” for middle and high school students. School districts are also allowed to teach sex education for younger students in kindergarten through 6th grade. Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/16/20

Cal State Fullerton a state and national leader in graduating underrepresented students -- Cal State Fullerton is first in California and second in the nation for awarding bachelor’s degrees to underrepresented students in all disciplines, according to the latest rankings by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. Florida International University took the top spot nationally. Susan Gill Vardon in the Orange County Register -- 1/16/20

L.A. Unified pays $25 million to settle sexual misconduct cases -- The Los Angeles Board of Education on Tuesday agreed to pay more than $25 million to settle lawsuits over alleged sexual misconduct. Some cases were related to well-known incidents of abuse at Telfair and De La Torre elementary schools, for which teachers went to jail. Others never led to convictions. The larger settlements are about $2 million per student. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/16/20

UC Berkeley ordered to repay millions to teaching assistants -- The University of California, Berkeley has been ordered to pay back millions in tuition and fees to hundreds of teaching assistants who complained they were hired at a part-time rate but worked close to the 10-hour-per-week minimum to qualify for benefits. Associated Press -- 1/16/20

San Francisco Bay Area parents declare state of emergency over district’s failure to educate black children -- Fed up with a growing achievement gap between African American students and all others in a San Francisco Bay Area school district, a group of parents is declaring an “educational state of emergency” and demanding improvement. Theresa Harrington EdSource -- 1/16/20

Cannabis 

Sacramento may allow 10 new pot shops to address inequity in city’s marijuana dispensaries -- Of the city’s 30 dispensaries, none are owned by black men and women, demographics that were disproportionately arrested during the War on Drugs, Malaki Amen, executive director of the California Urban Partnership, has said. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/16/20

Immigration / Border 

Longtime bakery, Con Pane, shuts down following ICE audit of workers -- Con Pane Rustic Breads and Cafe, a popular, longtime Point Loma business, announced Wednesday that it was closing following a federal immigration audit that the owner says found a number of employees to be unauthorized workers. Lori Weisberg in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/16/20

Health 

Nine flu-related deaths reported in San Diego County -- Further evidence surfaced that the dominance of A-type influenza viruses, which have gradually caused a larger share of new cases in recent weeks, are delivering severe consequences to younger patients. This season’s youngest flu victim, a 45-year-old East County woman who was unvaccinated but who was also fighting other health conditions, died on Jan. 3. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/16/20

Environment 

Fleet Of Cars to Collect Block-by-Block Air Quality Data in Bay Area -- A fleet of Toyota Priuses equipped with sensors to detect greenhouse gases, particulate matter and other pollutants is monitoring air quality across the Bay Area. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District announced this month that the hybrids will collect block-by-block data from all nine Bay Area counties, spanning more than 5,000 square miles of public roads. Peter Arcuni KQED -- 1/16/20

Also . . . 

LAPD gang-framing scandal could have ripple effect on criminal cases -- A scandal rocking the Los Angeles Police Department over allegations that members of the LAPD’s elite Metro Division falsely portrayed people as gang members is also prompting questions about whether the claims will affect ongoing criminal cases involving the accused officers. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/16/20

Woman missing in Butte County for six days is found alive -- A woman in the early stages of dementia who went missing six days ago was found alive Wednesday by a helicopter crew searching for her in Butte County. Paula Beth James, 68, was last seen the evening of Jan. 9 in Oroville, where she lives, and was reported missing the following day. Jaclyn Cosgrove in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/16/20

County settles child welfare lawsuit for $1.8 million -- San Diego County supervisors voted Tuesday to approve a $1.8 million settlement to a lawsuit filed by parents whose four children were removed from their home in 2010 on the suspicion they had been abused, then underwent invasive medical exams at an emergency shelter for children — procedures that the courts found violated the family’s constitutional rights. Greg Moran in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/16/20

Scammers fake PG&E caller ID, fooling customers by phone, California utility warns -- Criminal phone scammers are calling ratepayers and threatening to shut off their power if the person answering the phone doesn’t agree to make a payment on an overdue utility bill, PG&E said in an alert warning customers about the scam on Monday. Jared Gilmour in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/16/20

Got a parking ticket in this East Bay city? Look at it carefully -- Investigators learned about the fake citations after a victim brought one into the police station on Oak Street to pay the fine, and a clerk noticed the document was not quite right. For example, it did not cite any Alameda Municipal Code. Peter Hegarty in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/16/20

POTUS 45  

Eyeing swift impeachment trial, Trump’s legal team aims to block witnesses and cast doubt on charges -- White House lawyers are trying to engineer the fastest impeachment trial in American history, aiming to have President Trump acquitted by the Senate without witnesses and after just a few days of proceedings, according to senior administration officials. Toluse Olorunnipa and Josh Dawsey in the Washington Post$ -- 1/16/20

Trump Tried to Kill Anti-Bribery Rule He Deemed ‘Unfair,’ New Book Alleges -- The president asked administration officials to help kill the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, according to a new book from two Washington Post reporters. Jeanna Smialek in the New York Times$ -- 1/16/20

Trump set to gut water protections -- The Trump administration is preparing to further dismantle environmental regulations by vastly reducing the reach of federal protections for streams and wetlands — delivering a major win for farmers, developers, miners and oil and gas producers. Annie Snider Politico -- 1/16/20

Beltway 

Lev Parnas, Key Player in Ukraine Affair, Completes Break With Trump and Giuliani -- In an interview, he said the president knew everything about the effort to push Ukraine to investigate the Bidens and the 2016 election. Kenneth P. Vogel and Ben Protess in the New York Times$ Matthew Choi, Kyle Cheney and Darren Samuelsohn Politico Chris Strohm and Billy House Bloomberg -- 1/16/20

Democrats release more Parnas evidence, including voicemails with Trump associates -- House impeachment investigators released a new set of evidence that was obtained from Lev Parnas, an indicted former associate of President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani — including voicemails, photos, and text messages between Parnas and high-level figures within Trump’s orbit. Kyle Cheney and Andrew Desiderio Politico -- 1/16/20

'Huge mistake': Senators in both parties rip impeachment press access -- The Senate is prepared to enforce strict measures on reporters' access during President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, hoping to avoid the spectacle of senators being yelled at in the hallways as they were during the Supreme Court confirmation hearing of Brett Kavanaugh. But not all Republicans are on board. Marianne Levine and Burgess Everett Politico -- 1/16/20

 

-- Wednesday Updates 

Tough questions for Delta after pilots dump jet fuel on schoolchildren -- Angry city officials in Cudahy are demanding to know why a Delta jet making an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport dropped fuel over a playground, dousing schoolchildren, when federal rules call on pilots to dump fuel in unpopulated areas. Ruben Vives, Matt Stiles, Samantha Masunaga, Colleen Shalby, Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/15/20

Next stop for free college: Cal State University? -- The "free college" movement in California has so far stopped at two years of community college. Los Angeles Assemblyman Miguel Santiago would forge a path toward a four-year CSU degree. Felicia Mello Calmatters -- 1/15/20

Why Silicon Valley Rep. Zoe Lofgren has a special role in Trump impeachment trial -- San Jose Rep. Zoe Lofgren made House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s seven-member Trump impeachment team Wednesday. It’s not a surprise why: Lofgren, who has served in the House since 1995, is the only member of Congress who participated in the last three impeachment inquiries: From President Richard Nixon to President Bill Clinton to Trump. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/15/20

Justice Ming Chin to retire from California Supreme Court, giving Newsom his first appointment -- Chin, 77, the court’s first Chinese-American justice, joined the court nearly 25 years ago. At the start, the appointee of former Gov. Pete Wilson, a Republican, was considered a moderate voice on what was then a conservative court. Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/15/20

House hearing reveals frustrations with veteran housing vouchers -- A federal housing voucher program has helped to significantly reduce the number of homeless veterans nationwide over the past decade, but tens of thousands of them go unused each year and many are withheld from veterans who don’t meet certain eligibility requirements. Gary Warth in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/15/20

Fresno starts inspecting neglected motels to improve housing conditions -- For many residents on the verge of homelessness, Fresno's motels are their last chance at housing. A new ordinance focuses on inspecting the oldest and most run-down properties. Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado Calmatters -- 1/15/20

In a wildfire, animal rescue can be messy; untrained volunteers add to the chaos -- Every natural disaster is different, but in many ways they’re the same — power failures, debris fields, rampant misinformation. Mix fear, haste and panic with the good intentions of people not always equipped or empowered to help, and you get conflict, sometimes chaos. Ellen Alperstein in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/15/20

SF scooter companies introduce models for disabled riders in struggle to make tech accessible -- Electric scooter companies are rolling out new three-wheeled or seated models intended for people with disabilities in San Francisco as technology plays catch-up in an effort to make new forms of transportation accessible — a recurring problem, advocates say. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/15/20

Google effect: House in downtown San Jose transit village boundary doubles in price -- A just-completed transaction appears to be the first instance of a realty owner buying a downtown San Jose property after Google’s development endeavors near the Diridon train station came to light — and then selling that site to Google at a hefty profit. Google’s purchase of the residence, completed this week, nearly tripled the value of the house. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/15/20

SF’s Embarcadero last stop on ride for homeless SamTrans riders -- The new, expanded SamTrans bus service from the Peninsula to San Francisco’s Embarcadero appears to be doing double duty as a late-night homeless shuttle that regularly drops those with nowhere to go onto city streets and parks at the end of the line. Some of those homeless people may be coming from San Francisco International Airport, where San Francisco police hand out free bus tokens to keep them out of the terminals at night. Phil Matier in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/15/20

Lopez: An empty hospital. An exploding homeless crisis. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? -- It was Sunday past and Patricia McVerry, a West L.A. resident and self-described newspaper addict, was reading the L.A. Times when she came upon the story of St. Vincent Medical Center’s impending closure after roughly 150 years in business. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/15/20

Fox: Tax Reform and the Strength of the Pragmatic Angel -- At his budget press conference, Gov. Gavin Newsom was asked what he plans to do about tax reform. According to one account, the governor said that the state desperately needs to change the tax structure and added, “I can be stubborn. I can be pragmatic. Here, I’m stubbornly pragmatic.” Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 1/15/20