No, no, no, no, no, yes. Voters disapproved all but one of the six budget-slashing measures on the ballot on May 19. This means cuts to services and higher taxes to close the $21.5 billion budget deficit.
A constitutional convention is needed to reform California’s dysfunctional system of government, says the Bay Area Council. It cites the current budget problems as an example and says that the initiative process has been hijacked by special interests. This blogger agrees and lauds their efforts.
State Senator Tony Strickland’s response to the May 19 vote was to call for lower taxes on businesses. He also proposed several small, ineffectual changes in state spending.
To its great shame, the Senate approved the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act. The purpose of the act is to canonize Reagan and gloss over his misdeeds, such as the Iran-Contra affair. Elton Gallegly, the bill’s sponsor, wastes no opportunity to declare his love for Reagan.
Ventura County wants to no longer give Thousand Oaks $190,000 for library use by out-of-county patrons. Not fair, says the city council.
The good news is that Ventura County’s water quality is good. The bad news is that only 1o sites instead of 5o will be tested weekly around the county. It’s all about the money.
Cheapskates. Metrolink will not pay for even part of a memorial honoring the victims of the September 12 train crash that killed 25 people.
Let me see those fingers. The sheriff can now screen people booked into county jail for immigration violations. Deputies will scan the fingerprints of those booked and compare them against a national database. It’s about time.
This land is your land, but it should be our land, says the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency. It wants to buy 1,500 acres of land around Thousand Oaks to form an open-space ring around the city. It needs $50 million; it has $1 million.
A victory for the little guy. A judge ruled that the Meadow Arts and Technology Elementary School is a conversion school. This means the charter school can stay at Meadows Elementary. It is disheartening that parents have to fight the Conejo Valley Unified School District to educate their kids.
