Reactions to story from SFGate
Vallejo one of few cities to use Chapter 9
http://www.sfgate.com/ cgi-bin/ article.cgi?f=/ c/ a/ 2008/ 05/ 11/ BA6E10JVID.DTL&feed=...
By declaring bankruptcy, Vallejo has thrust itself into the national spotlight as a test case for thousands of floundering cities desperate to unload their extravagant public employee contracts. "There's a wave of this coming across the U.S.," said Sajan.
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Daily links - 17th May 2008
http://www.light-links.net/2008/05/daily-links-17th-may-2008...news video of dog 'fostering' kittens oil powered norway gradually turns to wind power find more music you'll like (music-map.com) optisolar planning largest pv solar farm in world ‘mr. bubbles’ spreads good cheer microsoft tries to put a ceiling on ultra-low-cost pc power does Bush have 'presenile dementia'? the onion: gap unveils new 'for kids by kids' clothing line hillary clinton refers to next president as a "he" blind and 78, bowler hits a perfect 300 vatican says aliens could exist students claim survey dishonesty reliable traffic and usage data about websites elephant squashes roof of occupied car alienware unveils curved monitor new spider species named after neil young cute otter photo cheese racing global slump of 2008-09 has begun california city declares bankruptcy
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The Ethics of a City Filing for Bankruptcy
http://www.cityethics.org/node/439The Ethics of a City Filing for Bankruptcy The city of Vallejo, California (pop. 117,000) is about to file for bankruptcy, primarily, it appears, to allow it to void union contracts and have a bankruptcy judge rather than negotiations work out a new contract. Sajan George, an adviser to struggling public entities, has said, "There's a wave of this coming across the U.S. What happens in Vallejo could definitely set a precedent." This situation is certainly the result of economic forces: recession, falling house prices and foreclosures, the closing of a shipyard and a Walmart. But there are other causes that fall into the realm of ethics.
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http://halfwaytoconcord.com/op-ed-five-myths-about-alternati...
It looks more and more like Supervisor Mary Piepho has become a DeSaulnier Republican; ready to jump to the Democratic Party after the Dems help her win reelection. How else can one explain the Democratic Party calling in huge markers to bolster Piepho’s beleaguered campaign? Democrats and the usual suspects must smell blood in the water and are pulling out the stops to make sure the status quo does not change at the Supervisor level this election cycle. At stake is the cozy relationship the Supervisors have with public employee unions to the detriment of the poor, public safety, fiscal sanity, and taxpayers. Then there is the wink-wink, nudge-nudge pay-for-play willingness to allow developers like Tom Koch to use the BOS to pry open the Urban Limit Line. Take a look at the upfront and behind-the-scene scaffolding now supporting RINO Republican, Mary Piepho. Read more » BUSINESS
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California City declares bankruptcy
http://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2008/05/california-...to be able to reconfigure labor and pension contracts. See "Vallejo one of few cities to use Chapter 9," from the San Francisco Chronicle. DC is fortunate because compared to most cities, it has a stream of revenue from income taxes-personal and business-that most cities do not have. Most cities are reliant on property taxes. Even there, DC does well because it has both commercial property taxes coming from a strong real estate market, and relatively high valued residential properties. Still the money must be spent wisely, creating value, rather than destroying it. Right now, most of the jurisdictions in the region forecast deficits. And in Montgomery County, which spends 80% of its budget on personnel, labor unions are fighting reductions in salaries and layoffs. See "For the budget beast, it’s always feeding time," from the Gazette. DC has a soft freeze on hiring new personnel and filling open positions, although it may not be public.
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Sunday political briefing 5.11.08
http://mlukens0404.typepad.com/san_joaquin_valleyfornia/2008...Jim Boren: How do you run against an incumbent who gets called to duty in Iraq? -- If you're going to run for political office, you have to have the "Uh-oh factor" built into your campaign strategy. Somewhere before election day, something will happen to stop candidates in their tracks, and they'll be uttering "Uh-oh" as they try to adjust to the unexpected development. That happened to Fresno City Council candidate Susan Good on Feb. 20. Her opponent, District 4 incumbent Larry Westerlund, was on the steps of the Veterans Memorial Auditorium that day announcing that he had been called to active duty with the Navy and was heading for Iraq. Boren column Fresno Bee: Rodriguez for Madera County supervisor – Madera County will need steady leadership to face the challenges ahead -- a worsening economy, rising unemployment, a shaky housing market. We recommend incumbent Max Rodriguez for the Board of Supervisors in District 4. Fresno Bee editorial Bakersfield Californian: Re-elect Ray Watson for Kern supervisor – Residents of the 4th District deserve a grown-up to be their supervisor. We just wish the incumbent grown-up shared his challenger's passion and concern for all people in his district. Supervisor Ray Watson, take these words to heart if re-elected. Get out of your office. Get to know and better understand the concerns and needs of 4th District residents. Bakersfield Californian editorial Modesto Bee: Weidman, DeMartini for Stanislaus County supervisor – The Modesto Bee recommends former Stanislaus County Sheriff Les Weidman and incumbent Jim DeMartini in races for Stanislaus County supervisors. Weidman recommendation; DeMartini recommendation. Fresno Bee: Vote no on Prop 98, yes on 99 – The limits Proposition 99 would place on eminent domain are useful. The scorched-earth solutions of Proposition 98 -- and its hidden agendas -- are not. Vote "no" on Proposition 98, and "yes" on Proposition 99 on June 3. Fresno Bee editorial Budget analysis: Almost never on time and no one can agree why – Lawmakers have not met the June 15 constitutional deadline to send the governor an approved budget since 1986, and have accomplished the task only four times since 1977. Only 10 times in the last 31 years have the Legislature and governor combined to get a budget in place by the beginning of the fiscal year on July 1. Ask a roomful of budget veterans why the Legislature and governor can't seem to deliver on time and you'll get a roomful of answers. Sacramento Bee article State budget options run thin – This will not be a typically bad budget year. It will be worse. California has faced rough times recently, but the cavalry - in the form of massive borrowing or pushing off the state's debts and obligations for another day - has always managed to rescue the governor and the Legislature before they were forced to seriously cut state services or raise taxes. Now those options are largely gone. Stockton Record article Diane Hardisty: Bonehead tax breaks draining state budget – With spending cuts alone unable to close the gap, Democrats want more taxes applied to more things, while Republicans want more tax exemptions applied to more things. A long hot summer budget standoff looms. Meanwhile, how about just eliminate some of the bonehead exemptions like the incomprehensible ones for take-out food? Hardisty column in Bakersfield Californian Dan Walters: Is initiative process cause or result of state’s malaise? – The old philosophical argument over whether the chicken or the egg first emerged from the primordial ooze has a political counterpart in California's circular debate over the initiative process. Is directly presenting proposed laws and constitutional amendments to voters a safety valve by which they can do what the Legislature is unwilling or unable to do, the cause of the Capitol's endemic inability to function effectively, or, perhaps, both a symptom of our political malaise and a cure that worsens the disease? Walters column 5 months into job, Modesto councilman gets high marks – Dave Lopez laughed when a Modesto nonprofit leader introduced him at an event as the man who "shook every hand in the city." That was in December. Since then, he had a baby, got a crash course on City Hall and started work on launching a curbside recycling program. He's making a good impression on his colleagues, who call him a diligent councilman. Modesto Bee article ‘Conflicts’ common in Bakersfield’s tangled political web – Three years ago, then-City Councilman Mike Maggard appointed Russell Johnson to the Bakersfield Planning Commission. Today, Johnson works for now-Kern County Supervisor Mike Maggard and remains a commissioner. Is that a conflict of interest? Some bloggers on The Californian Web site think so, saying Johnson doesn’t share their views of private property rights and Maggard could be pulling his strings. Bakersfield Californian article Kern ad watch: Clearing the air on dairy pollution – In the race for Kern County supervisors, the message of Cliff Thompson’s sign is stark — laying childhood breathing problems at Ray Watson’s feet. But as with most campaign claims and slogans, there are facts about dairy bans and pollution that just don’t fit on Thompson’s signs. Bakersfield Californian article Vallejo could set precedent – By declaring bankruptcy, Vallejo has thrust itself into the national spotlight as a test case for thousands of floundering cities desperate to unload their extravagant public employee contracts. "There's a wave of this coming across the U.S.," said Sajan George, an adviser to struggling public entities who worked on restructuring Orange County after it declared bankruptcy in 1994. "What happens in Vallejo could definitely set a precedent." San Francisco Chronicle article Eight candidates vie for two judge seats in Kern – Voters in Kern County have a rare opportunity June 3 to elect two new judges to Kern County Superior Court Most judges are appointed by the governor, not voters, but the pending retirement of judges H.A. “Skip” Staley and Clarence Westra has inspired eight judicial candidates to compete for the two open seats-and that means local voters have the power to choose some of those who wear the black robes next year. Bakersfield Californian article
