Go to LADailyBlog.com for full story.
Readers who have checked their calendars today may have noticed it's August 25. That's just six days before Aug. 31, the deadline for the Legislature to pass most bills for the 2008 legislative season.
One bill not yet passed is AB 2321, sponsored by Assemblyman Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles). That's the piece of state legislation that would allow Los Angeles County officials to ask voters in November to consider a one-half cent sales tax increase to pay for $30- to $40-billion in mass transit projects and road improvements.
Here's the skinny on what needs to happen:
HURDLE NUMBER ONE: The full Senate needs to vote on AB 2321, which then must be re-approved by the full Assembly. This must happen by 11:59 p.m. Sunday. Proponents of the bill say they've got the votes and the Senate could vote as early as Tuesday.
Go to LADailyBlog.com for full story.
California motorists are paying less than $4 a gallon on average for the first time since mid-May, the Energy Department said Monday, while the U.S. average fell for the seventh straight week.
DCist and the -ist network is participating in a first of its kind credential program at this year's Democratic National Convention. We're serving as the selected blogger representing the District of Columbia in the DNC State Blogger Corps (California's rep is Calitics). Here's how The New York Times described the desirability of our credential:
For bloggers attending the Democratic convention at the Pepsi Center in Denver, two types of credentials are offered. The first is a national credential, which offers the same access granted to members of traditional news media organizations.
The second, more coveted credential is the state blogger credential...
Crime Statistics August 19, 2008
VIOLENT CRIMES 2008** 2007** % Chg
Homicide 232* 248 -6.5%
Rape 483 571 -15.4%
Robbery 8010 8466 -5.4%
Agg Assaults ** 7675 8166 -6.0%
Total Violent Crimes 16,400 17,451 -6.0%
PROPERTY CRIMES
Burglary 11746 12350 -4.9%
BTFV 18361 19395 -5.3%
Personal/Other Theft 16574 17206 -3.7%
Auto Theft 13768 14831 -7.2%
Total Property Crimes 60,449 63,782 -5.2%
Total Part I Crimes 76,849 81,233 -5.4%
* Numbers reflects a change in reclassification for Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) guidelines and numbers are adjusted accordingly.
** Prior to 2005, Aggravated Assaults included Child/Spousal Simple Assaults
BEWARE – There is a new scam currently being executed which involves satellite TV subscribers. It has been brought to the Department’s attention that individuals posing as a major satellite TV provider, contact satellite users with offers of better prices and free upgrades as a means of trapping victims into lengthy contracts.
Go to LADailyBlog.com for full story.
Go to LADailyBlog.com for full story.
A deadline has expired for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign a bill, AB 3034, that would have put in place financial guidelines for the $9.95-billion bond on the November ballot for a high-speed rail system in California.
Legislators spent most of the summer squabbling over the proposed route for the bullet train and other perks for their own districts they wanted in the bill. By the time they sent it to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for his signature, Schwarzenegger had already said he wasn't signing any more bills until the state's budget shortfall was solved.
Quentin Kopp, the chair of the California High Speed Rail Authority, put out a statement today saying the authority would adopt most of the guidelines anyway. The statement is after the jump -- the most interesting part, I think, is that he reiterates his promise of the train taking only 2 1/2 hours to run between L.A. and San Francisco.
