Obama Urges Bipartisan Stimulus Support

U.S. President-elect Barack Obama is urging Congress to swiftly pass a massive economic stimulus bill, which could cost as much as $800 billion. In his weekly radio address Saturday, Obama said lawmakers from both parties must join together to jumpstart the ailing economy by passing the measure, which will taken up as soon as Obama is sworn into office Jan. 20, the Washington publication The Hill reported.

Recent News

Benoit Introduces Good Samaritan Protection Act
SACRAMENTO – Senator John J.
FEUER INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO CURTAIL D.U.I. COLLISIONS
(Sacramento) – Today, Assemblymember Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles) introduced Assembly Bill 91, which creates a pilot project in four counties that requires the installation of ignition interlock devices (IID) on any vehicle owned or operated by an individual convicted of a driving under the influence (DUI) offense. When installed, an IID links into a vehicle´s ignition system, and a driver blows into the device to start the vehicle.
Aanestad Joins Lawsuit Against Illegal State Tax Hikes
SACRAMENTO: Senator Sam Aanestad (R-Grass Valley) is joining a large and concerted effort to block the implementation of $10 billion in new taxes approved by the State Legislature last month without the constitutionally required two-thirds vote.
FEUER INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO CURTAIL D.U.I. COLLISIONS
Bill Requires Installation of Ignition Interlock Devices.
DMV Announces New Laws for 2009
The California Department of Motor Vehicles has announced the following new laws that go into effect in 2009.
VILLARIAGOSA RECEIVES ENDORSEMENT FROM LOS ANGELES LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS
City Councilmembers also get early backing from leading environmental organization.
MAYOR NEWSOM PROPOSES BUDGET SOLUTIONS
Mayor Newsom announced a proposed list of revenue increases and spending reductions totaling $118.29 million.
Senator Bob Huff Represented California at National Gathering of State Legislators
Sacramento - State Senator Huff recently represented California at the American Legislative Exchange Council´s (ALEC) Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force´s annual Tax Academy in Washington, D.C., on December 3, 2008.
BONO MACK CALLS FOR TARP HEARINGS, REQUESTS TESTIMONY FROM CEOs
WASHINGTON, DC – Emphasizing the importance of transparent and accountable distribution of economic rescue funds, Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack (CA-45) today joined 82 of her colleagues in sending a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA-08) and Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (MA-04) to request that CEOs from institutions receiving taxpayer funds through the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) be called before the Financial Services Committee to answer questions about their use of TARP funds. "American taxpayers deserve to know how their hard-earned money is being spent," said Bono Mack.
COMPLETION OF CANDLESTICK POINT AND HUNTERS POINT SHIPYARD REDEVELOPMENT ONE STEP CLOSER TO REALITY
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Today Mayor Gavin Newsom signed a resolution endorsing a $2 billion dollar financing plan for the combined redevelopment of Candlestick Point and Phase 2 of the Hunters Point Shipyard. The financing plan will fund the creation of the largest parks project since the construction of Golden Gate Park, over 3,000 below market affordable housing units, and hundreds of millions of dollars of area-wide transit improvements, without using any General Fund dollars. "In these very difficult fiscal times, it is more important than ever that we smartly partner with the private sector to help pay for critical public benefits like parks and affordable housing, and to stimulate huge economic investments in the City, particularly in the Bayveiw Hunters Point community," said Mayor Gavin Newsom. The financing plan also provides for the contribution of at least $100 million dollars of private financing from the project developers towards the construction of a new stadium for the San Francisco 49ers, if the 49ers elect to build a new stadium on the Shipyard. Last year, the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors approved preliminary development plans for the site, that include over 10,000 new homes (more than 32% of which will be offered at below market rates), a 2.5 million square foot green tech campus, over 700,000 square feet of retail, and over 300 acres of new waterfront parks.
Offshore Oil Spill off the Coast of Carpinteria in Santa Barbara County California
Santa Barbara-Assemblymember Pedro Nava, Chair of the Joint Committee on Emergency Services & Homeland Security announced today that an oil spill has occurred off the Carpinteria Coast in Santa Barbara County.
Aanestad Willing to Work on State Budget Solution
SACRAMENTO: Senator Sam Aanestad (R-Grass Valley) says he´s ready to work with the Majority Party in the State Legislature to enact a series of measures to formally address a growing, current year, budget deficit of more than $11 billion.
CARB Economic Models Limited in Ability to Capture AB 32 Economic Benefits
SACRAMENTO, Calif.,/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new study released today concludes that state-of-the-science economic models, including those used for CARB's economic analyses of California's Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32), are not capable of simulating the fundamental changes in California's economy that AB 32 measures are likely to cause.
State Senate Announces Budget Schedule, Subcommittees
SACRAMENTO – Sen.
MAYOR GAVIN NEWSOM AND BIKE AND ROLL LAUNCH NEIGHBORHOOD BIKE SHARE PROGRAM
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Mayor Gavin Newsom and Bike and Roll launched a new neighborhood bike share program that will allow North Beach residents to borrow bicycles for use around San Francisco for leisure or work, or specialized bikes for shopping. "Bike and Roll´s bikesharing program provides neighborhood residents a convenient, healthy way to shop in their neighborhood and travel about town," said Mayor Newsom.
California's Unprecedented Cash Crisis Prompts Bill to Freeze Excessive Pay
SACRAMENTO, CA – Facing an economic crisis that could leave the state without cash by March 2009, Assemblymember Portantino (D-La Cańada Flintridge) introduced legislation which would provide California immediate savings by prohibiting any pay raises, bonuses, overtime pay, or any other increase in compensation to state employees earning over $150,000 per year.
SAN FRANCISCO RECEIVES GOVERNOR´S ENVIRONMENTAL & ECONOMIC LEADERSHIP AWARD
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Mayor Newsom announced that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger presented the City of San Francisco with the 2008 Governor´s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA).
Assemblyman Solorio Submits First Bill of New Session
AB 20 Would Save the State and UC Money by Streamlining Contracting Process.
Denham says ´California Needs to Get off its Lazy Assets´
Sacramento – Senator Jeff Denham (R-Merced) today introduced his "State Properties Reform Package." The first three measures of a multi-bill package are designed to shed the state of underutilized property to raise needed revenue and reduce costs to help cut the multi-billion dollar budget deficit: "California needs to get off its lazy assets," said Denham.
Legislators, Faculty, and Students Call for Renewed Investment in Public Higher Education
SACRAMENTO, CA – The State Assembly began its work one hour ahead of schedule yesterday as Assemblymembers, Assemblymembers-Elect, faculty, and students gathered to announce the introduction of a House Resolution that calls for a bold recommitment to public higher education in the United States. "Our current economic crisis has been called the worst since the Great Depression, and most experts fear that more bad news is forthcoming," said Portantino, Chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee.
Pro-environmental measure would ban smoking in parks, beaches statewide
SACRAMENTO – Protecting the marine environment and reducing fire danger statewide are the primary goals of the first 2009 bill by Sen.
FEUER INTRODUCES BILL TO REDUCE PER CAPITA WATER USE 20 PERCENT BY 2020
(Sacramento) Assemblymember Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles) introduced Assembly Bill 49, which will reduce California´s urban per capita water use by 20 percent by December 31, 2020.
Legislative Package Introduced to Reform Oversight of the Financial Services & Banking Industries
SACRAMENTO –Assemblymember Pedro Nava, Chair of the Banking & Finance Committee announced the introduction of a legislative package to reform regulatory oversight of the financial services and banking industry and provide increased protections for consumers in California. "The time for reform is now.
ASSEMBLYMAN JEFFRIES INTRODUCES TWO FIRE BILLS ON FIRST DAY OF NEW SESSION
Sacramento: On the first day of the new legislative session in Sacramento, Assemblymember Kevin Jeffries (R-Lake Elsinore) introduced two bills which will address critical public safety and fire issues facing much of California.
On New YouTube Site, Mayor Newsom Launches Second Webisode of "Interactive State of the City"
Today Mayor Gavin Newsom unveiled the second webisode of his first-ever, web-only "Interactive State of the City" on his YouTube channel, youtube.com/mayorgavinnewsom. "Instead of a traditional speech behind a podium, this year I am delivering my State of the City address directly to my constituents in a series of ten webisodes," said Newsom.
NEWSOM, ALASKAN MAYORS PETITION THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO REGULATE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Today Mayor Gavin Newsom joined Alaskan Mayors and Oceana, the largest international non-governmental organization focused on ocean conservation, in petitioning the federal government to establish comprehensive regulations for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under the Clean Air Act. "Coastal communities around the globe, including San Francisco, could be harmed by rising sea levels and ocean temperatures," said Mayor Gavin Newsom.
Garamendi Succeeds in Getting UC Regents to drop student tuition increases from budget plan
The University of California Board of Regents decided on Thursday to remove student fee and tuition increases from its budget proposal for the 2009-10 school year. It was a decision that now puts the burden on the state Legislature to either provide funding that would avert the need for such increases or force those enrolled in the UC system to come up with the money themselves. The move - depending on who you talked to - was a strategic triumph, a bad idea or totally meaningless. "For the first time in my recollection, the budget goes forward without student fee increases in it," said Lt.
MAYORS AIM TO MAKE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE CAPITAL OF THE U.S.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Mayor Gavin Newsom, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums announced a nine-step policy plan for transforming the Bay Area into the "Electric Vehicle (EV) Capital of the U.S." In conjunction with the news, Better Place, a global electric transportation company, announced that it would enter the U.S. market with California as its first state, beginning in the Bay Area. "Our aim is to make the Bay Area — and eventually California — the electric vehicle capital of the U.S.," said San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. Commercial availability of electric cars is targeted to begin in 2012, and Better Place estimates its network investment in the Bay Area will total $1 billion when the system is fully deployed.
Audit of state agencies reveals improper disposal of hazardous electronic waste
A State Auditor´s review of five large state agencies has discovered improper disposal of hazardous electronic waste contrary to state requirements.
Lt. Governor John Garamendi Joins 150 Protesters Fighting Proposed Cuts to CSU Budget
LONG BEACH – Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, a California State University trustee, today joined 150 protesters in Long Beach to fight the proposed state budget cuts that will prevent 10,000 qualified students from being admitted to CSU campuses and reduce the quality of education of California´s future workforce.
Attorney General Brown Urges California Supreme Court to Review Constitutionality of Proposition 8
SACRAMENTO — California Attorney General Edmund G.
Disaster Relief Legislation for Victims of Santa Barbara County´s Tea Fire
Sacramento, CA – Assemblymember Pedro Nava, Chair of the Joint Committee on Emergency Services and Homeland Security and member of the Governor´s Emergency Council announced that disaster relief legislation is being drafted for victims of the Santa Barbara County Tea Fire. "My measure will bring much needed assistance to those who suffer losses and devastation as a result of the Tea Fire currently being fought in Santa Barbara County," said Nava.
CSU and UC Eligibile High School Seniors Are Being Starved by State Budget Cutbacks
SACRAMENTO - Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, who serves as a University of California regent and a California State University trustee, said today´s announcement that the CSU system will eliminate 10,000 admission spots for the 2009-10 school year will in the long-term damage California´s economy and ability to compete. "The bottom line is there will be 10,000 qualified California graduating students from the largest high school senior class ever in California´s history who will not get into the CSU system because of budget cuts and the probability that next year´s budget will be even worse," Lieutenant John Garamendi said.
MAYOR NEWSOM ANNOUNCES THAT TWO MAJOR CHINESE COMPANIES PLAN TO OPEN OPERATIONS IN SAN FRANCISCO
SHANGHAI, CHINA – San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom joined Vincent H.S.
State Greens win mayor spot, amass 5 wins Tuesday statewide
SACRAMENTO – The Green Party will assume the No.
Perata & Steinberg Call for Discussion of Tax Increases to Solve State's Budget
(SACRAMENTO) – Senate President pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland) and Senate President pro Tem-Elect Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) said that legislative leaders should begin meeting daily to hammer out an agreement on how to tackle the state´s growing budget deficit. California´s tax revenues are now expected to be $11.2 billion lower than assumed in the 2008-09 budget, which was signed two months ago.
Lt. Governor John Garamendi's Statement on the Historic Presidential Election of Barack Obama
SACRAMENTO – Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi issued the following statement on the election of Barack Obama as the next President of the United States of America: "The voters have spoken and made history.
JONES ANNOUNCES GREEN JOBS INITIATIVE FOR HIGH DESERT
LANCASTER, CA – As part of her campaign to create a stronger economy for the region, Democratic Assembly Candidate Linda Jones (36th District) today announced her "High Desert Region Green Jobs Initiative" - using ´green jobs´ to increase opportunities for unemployed and underemployed adults in the High Desert communities.
Ninth Circuit Hears Appeal of Violent Video Game Law
SACRAMENTO - The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held its first-ever special sitting in Sacramento to hear an appeal of California´s violent video game law authored by Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo). In 2005, the Legislature passed and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Los Angeles) signed into law Assembly Bill (AB) 1179 to prevent the sale and rental of violent video games that depict serious injury to human beings in a manner that is especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel, by persons who are under 18 years of age.
County supervisors play partisan politics
Taxpayers Association smears Democrats running for nonpartisan offices.

National News

Hurricane Protection System in New Orleans 'A System in Name Only'
To do so, two Virginia Tech geotechnical engineering students went to New Orleans and obtained about 2,000 pounds of different soil samples that have organic contents greater than nine percent.
Study Seeks Green Homes That Withstand Hurricanes
While in Bangladesh, Uddin will work with local educators and researchers to study the feasibility, reliability and livability of low cost coastal housing designed to endure hurricanes using environmentally friendly composite building techn
Expert on Barrier Islands and Climate Change Available
The National Science Foundation-funded study group is developing a strategic plan for sustaining barrier island ecosystems in the face of increases in storm frequency and intensity, as well as sea level rise associated with global climate c

Money

President-Elect Obama: Want to Stimulate the Economy? Freeze Or Lower the Tax on Long-Term Capital G
One way you can stimulate the economy at very little cost is to lower or, at minimum, freeze the existing tax rates on long-term capital gains.
Realigning Federal Agencies to Prevent Future Market Meltdowns
[no extract]
Law Center Presents 'Global Financial Crisis for Dummies'
The page- in PDF form at http:// www.uiowa. edu/ifdebook/ timeline/Credit_ Crisis_ Timeline. pdf- has a meticulously detailed timeline of events leading up to the economic collapse, and it highlights news reports of every struggling investm
Two Babson College Undergraduate Teams Receive Honors At Global Innovation Competition
The Babson College/Olin College team, Bottled Solutions, won Best Overall award.
Pharmacy Pricing Expert Who Predicted 2004 Flu Vaccine Shortage Builds Thriving Consulting Business
E.M. " Mick" Kolassa, who earned his doctorate in pharmacy at the UM School of Pharmacy in 1995, owns Medical Marketing Economics, which deals with research and pricing strategies in the pharmaceutical industry.
Babson's Dean Hanno Named to International Leadership Initiative Board
The Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative was co-founded and is supported by the United Nations Global Compact and the European Foundation for Management Development ( EFMD).
'New and Improved' Baldrige Criteria Now Available
Source: National Institute of Standards and Technology ( NIST)
Franchising Index Weathers Recession in Third Quarter
" A 62.3 percent increase in Buffalo Wild Wings value and a 9.2 percent share gain by McDonald's, in addition to positive returns by another 23 components of the index, shielded the index from the brutal fall suffered by the broader indices
University of Maryland Dental School Receives Business Leadership Award
Give Kids A Smile stems from a partnership among the Dental School, the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry in Baltimore, and the Maryland State Dental Association.
Columbia University's Proven Natural Language Processing Technology Licensed to NLP International
About Columbia University Science & Technology Ventures Columbia University's technology transfer office, Science & Technology Ventures ( STV), serves as a bridge between Columbia's researchers and the business community.