Childhood vaccines at all-time high, but access not yet equitable
Recent News
As the House begins to debate the Affordable Health Care for America Act, the following debunks the false claims that Republicans will be expected to make during floor consideration and debate of the bill:
1. GOP CLAIM: The Affordable Health Care for America Act will lead to a governmen...
The ideas that House Republican have put forward as a bill substitute will let insurance companies continue to deny you coverage if you are sick; will do little to make insurance more affordable; and will put insurers ahead of consumers by undermining existing consumer protections. The plan would re...
WASHINGTON Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA), Chair of the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, today released the following statement on the Congressional Budget Office's analysis of the Republican substitute amendment to H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act:
"CBO has confirmed that the...
CBO Estimates Republican Legislation Would Leave 52 Million Americans Uninsured.
WASHINGTON, D.C. Fifty-two million people would continue to go uninsured if the House Republican health care legislation was enacted, the Congressional Budget Office said tonight. Overall, CBO estimates tha...
SACRAMENTO Assemblywoman Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) recently was recognized as a California Regional Technology Leader for 2009 by TechAmerica. The award is given to legislators who strongly support high-tech in California. Assemblywoman Fiona Ma made the following statement of the award.
...
Lawmaker says "health care reform should improve the quality of care while making the system more affordable and accessible."
Washington, DC After extensive conversations with her constituents, including her "Medicine Cabinet," Congresswoman Jane Harman (D-Venice) today indicated her int...
Schwarzenegger Administration May Not Be Convinced.
Sacramento, CA — US Rep. Michael Honda (D-Calif.) is asking that the state´s government fully restore its funding program for California´s domestic violence shelters. In a July line-item veto, Governor Schwarzenegger eliminat...
WASHINGTON - Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) praised House passage of Unemployment Insurance Benefits for an additional 20 weeks for workers in California. The Unemployment Compensation Extension Act, H.R. 3548, passed by a bipartisan 403 to 12 vote.
"Congress must protect those who have not yet found ...
LOS ANGELES Assemblymember Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) joined Los Angeles County Assessor Rick Auerbach and other local officials to warn homeowners about misleading and official-looking letters asking for fees to file their property tax reduction requests and to highlight a new law, Assembly Bill 992 ...
HOPE Program would reduce recidivism through closely-monitored probations paired with strict consequences for violators.
WASHINGTON, DC Congressmen Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Ted Poe (R-TX) introduced legislation that will create a new program to fight drug use and crime. The Honest Opportunity ...
Washington, D.C. Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke on the House floor today in support of H. Res. 895, honoring the lives of the brave soldiers and civilians who died or were wounded in the tragic attack yesterday at the Fort Hood Army base in Texas. The House will vote on the legislation later today. B...
Health insurance reform opponents continue to spread myths now about the recently introduced Affordable Health Care for America Act. Below is a response to many of the myths repeated today at the U.S. Capitol.
MYTH: The Affordable Health Care for America Act will lead to a "government ta...
Washington, DC John Garamendi, a former California Lieutenant Governor, State Insurance Commissioner, state legislator, and Deputy Interior Secretary, was sworn into Congress by Speaker Nancy Pelosi today.
A link to Garamendi´s swearing in ceremony and speech is available here.
"Mada...
Pro-worker candidates win 66 of 92 races; nine anti-worker incumbents ousted from mayor´s office, city councils and boards in San Gabriel Valley.
LOS ANGELES A five-week intensive get-out-the-vote effort by working families pushed 14 pro-worker candidates to victory in the San Gab...
Washington, DC Today, U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) lauded bipartisan legislation passed by the California State Legislature to address the state´s water crisis.
Senator Boxer said, "I commend the legislature and the governor for their successful efforts to approve a comprehensive wat...
Bill extends commitment to Lake Tahoe and the Tahoe Basin.
Washington, DC Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), has joined Senators Harry Reid (D-NV), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and John Ensign (R-NV) in introducing sweeping legislation to protect Lake Tahoe and the Tahoe Basin from a variety of serio...
Sacramento On a bipartisan basis the California State Assembly today passed a historic plan to increase water supply reliability while improving the fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the source of drinking water for two-thirds of the state. The plan includes both a comprehensive policy package...
LOS ANGELES State Senator Gilbert Cedillo (D-Los Angeles) and the California Latino Legislative Caucus convened "El Poder Verde" Green Jobs Summit last week in downtown Los Angeles. The summit was organized to bring together public and private sector stakeholders mobilizing the "green movement" th...
Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) praised the Senate´s passage of legislation to extend unemployment insurance for nearly 2 million Americans who would have otherwise lost their benefits by the end of the year. The bill will extend benefits by 14 weeks for jobless workers ac...
Two-day undercover operation catches more than one dozen phony contractors.
SACRAMENTO A Contractors State License Board (CSLB) sting operation conducted in San Clemente last week highlights the risks consumers face if they hire unlicensed contractors for home or business improvement projects....
WASHINGTON, DC Today, Congressman Brad Sherman (Sherman Oaks) announced that California State University, Northridge (CSUN) received $165,000 in federal funding for construction of the Valley Performing Arts Center. Once completed, the Valley Performing Arts Center at CSUN will serve as the premi...
SACRAMENTO, CA Just after midnight, the California state Senate passed SB X5 1 with a 21-12 bipartisan vote. The comprehensive bill containing reforms necessary for California to be eligible and competitive for the federal Race to the Top grants is authored by Senator Gloria Romero (D- East Los A...
WALNUT CREEK Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi comfortably won Northern California´s 10th Congressional District special election. With 29 percent reporting, Garamendi currently holds an 18-point lead.
"Today, the voters have spoken; they still have hope and still want change," Garamendi...
SACRAMENTO, CA — The California Chamber of Commerce and the Employment Training Panel (ETP) have joined forces in a newly announced partnership that will result in customized job skills training programs for members´ employees throughout the state.
"In this difficult economy, Californ...
A traditional holiday favorite, "The Nutcracker" ballet produced by the Ventura County Ballet Company (VCBC) is not only a feast for the senses, it is one of the largest productions in Southern California.
November is National Adoption Month. On November 21, local communities will celebrate as thousands of foster children are adopted into families.
For 30 years, Aspiranet, one of the largest foster-adoption agencies in California, has worked to ensure children are placed in permanent, loving homes - touching the lives of more than 10,000 families.
Washington, D.C. Congressman Adam Schiff announced last week that the cities of Burbank and Glendale will each receive $20 million to help build energy-efficient smart grids. Burbank and Glendale received two of only 100 such grants in the country, provided by the American Reinvestment and Recove...
San Francisco, CA Mayor Gavin Newsom announced last week the completion of a free Wi-Fi network for Treasure Island and its residents. The Treasure Island network connects over 400 units of low income and subsidized housing to free Wi-Fi; in addition it provides coverage for other residents on the...
Health Insurance Reform DAILY MYTHBUSTER: ´Public Health Insurance Option Will Lead to Higher Premiums, Not Lower Premiums´
Opponents of reform continue to spread myths now spreading myths about the recently introduced Affordable Health Care for America Act, including saying that ...
WASHINGTON Congressman Brad Sherman is proposing legislation to allow Bob Hope and Van Nuys Airports to implement mandatory nighttime curfews from 10 PM to 7 AM.
Sherman´s legislation comes in the wake of the Federal Aviation Administration´s decision to reject the "Part 161" applic...
Yee and Papan: Mandatory delivery of white pages wastes paper, energy, and scarce local government resources.
SACRAMENTO Following the successful efforts of Cleveland, Ohio and Miami, Florida, California could become the largest jurisdiction to give telephone customers a choice in receiving t...
Legislation Covers 96 percent of Americans, Reduces the Deficit.
WASHINGTON, D.C. For the first time in U.S. history, all Americans would have access to quality, affordable health care under updated health insurance reform legislation unveiled by House Democrats on Thursday. The House is expe...
Lawmaker calls the bill "a building block toward real nationwide interoperability."
Washington, DC The House last week passed legislation introduced by Congresswoman Jane Harman (D-Venice) to improve emergency communications capacity at the state and local levels. The bill, S.1694, exten...
Wolk selected for work to empower counties in the Delta and throughout the state.
SACRAMENTO — One of the state´s lead advocacy groups for local government announced today that it will award State Senator Lois Wolk (D-Davis) its highest honor.
The California State Association of ...
Washington, D.C. Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-Palo Alto) voted last week to generate and save more than a million American jobs through H.R. 3854, the Small Business Financing and Investment Act. The bill, which passed the House 389-32 , enhances lending opportunities for small businesses, the source of...
Washington, D.C. Congressman Adam Schiff introduced a Resolution last week in the House of Representatives honoring William Bratton for his career in public service as Chief of Police of the cities of Boston, New York, and Los Angeles. On August 5th, Chief Bratton announced he would step down as L...
Senate Office of Oversight and Outcomes Report Shows Longer Wait Times at DMV Due to Furloughs.
SACRAMENTO - The Senate Office of Oversight and Outcomes released a report today that shows the Governor΄s furlough program has caused longer wait times and an overall deterioration of services at ...
Popular southern California restaurant concept set to open.
Huntington Beach, Calif. - The ocean paradise of Rockin´ Baja Coastal Cantina has officially arrived in Huntington Beach. Famous for its Baja Buckets, fresh seafood and ice-cold margaritas, Rockin´ Baja invites guests to ...
The Opera Buffs gives young singers more than applause...The volunteer group of opera enthusiasts also gives them a helping hand. Recently "the Buffs" awarded four aspiring opera stars of tomorrow $20,000 as Career Achievement Awards.
You would think that an idea that would not only help a government agency run better but save the taxpayers significant money in the bargain would be, well, a bargain. And you would also think that those who brand themselves fiscal conservatives would be leading the charge on getting these ideas put...
Top Headlines
Nov. 6--OAKLAND -- Oakland's budget is in trouble again.
Nov. 5--SACRAMENTO -- Monumental plans to overhaul California's water system -- decades in the dreaming and months in the works -- finally emerged from an exhausted Legislature early Wednesday, defying regional squabbles to become the signature accomplishment in a year mostly lamented for budget cuts.
Nov. 5--Arguing public interest outweighs privacy concerns, San Jose officials Wednesday ordered release of 911 emergency dispatch recordings and police reports on a May incident in which officers fatally shot a mentally ill man while responding to reports he had attacked a family member.
Nov. 4--Last spring, San Jose employees cried foul when Mayor Chuck Reed finally outlined what they needed to do to help balance the budget by June 30 with minimal layoffs: zero raises across the board.
The Small Business Development Center is offering a free workshop, State Labor Law and Payroll Tax, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Carson Community Center, 801 E. Carson St. Call 310-973- 3177 to register.
Nov. 3--Responding to Mercury News articles raising concerns about the use of force by San Jose police officers, Police Chief Rob Davis announced new layers of internal review to guard against officers' misusing their fists, batons, Tasers and guns to subdue suspects.
Nov. 2--By Howard Mintz
Nov. 1--An incremental acceptance of medical marijuana has spurred a cottage industry of business ventures -- from iPhone applications to lobbyists -- whose expansion shows no sign of slowing despite the recession.
Oct. 28--SACRAMENTO -- Marijuana legalization advocates and law enforcement officials duked it out in a three-hour legislative hearing Wednesday on whether making the drug legal under state law would be good public policy.
Oct. 29--Whether San Jose needs more rules governing bicyclists riding with dogs on trails became the focal point of a Wednesday night community meeting called after the bizarre death of a woman caught in a dog leash on a popular San Jose trail.
Oct. 29--By Tracy Seipel
Oct. 28--SACRAMENTO -- Tell us, governor, how you really feel.
Oct. 28--San Jose's planning staff will have to revise part of an environmental impact report it prepared in 2006 for a downtown baseball stadium after recently noticing a mistake in data provided by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority on freeway traffic volume.
Oct. 27--The San Jose Redevelopment Agency on Monday released its long-awaited budget for 2010 and beyond.
They were engrossed in a complicated new crew-scheduling program on their laptop computers as their plane flew past its Minneapolis landing by 150 miles -- a cockpit violation of airline policy that could cost them their licenses.
The El Segundo Board of Education will meet Tuesday for a regular meeting and a budget study session.
Oct. 25--Time was when the colorful bay checkerspot butterfly was a common sight in much of the Bay Area, from San Bruno Mountain to Mount Diablo, counties in between and south of there.
The tale of record-level legal costs for Los Angeles County this year would be more satisfying if the villains were more clear-cut.
Oct. 22--RICHMON -- Richmond city leaders want state lawmakers to make education spending a priority and this week called upon the West Contra Costa school district to resolve working and learning conditions at campuses.
Oct. 22--A federal court today rejected Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to solve California's prison overcrowding problem, ordering the state to come up with an alternative within three weeks or risk having judges order their own solution.
Oct. 22--Stephen Barnett, an authority on intellectual property law, First Amendment issues and the state Supreme Court who taught at UC Berkeley's law school for 36 years, has died.
Los Angeles city officials Wednesday began interviewing the 13 semi-finalists to replace outgoing Police Chief William Bratton a group comprised primarily of the Los Angeles Police Department's top brass.
Oct. 19--SACRAMENTO -- It's one more wrinkle testifying to the unprecedented nature of California's budget woes: Tens of thousands of state workers -- nearly all of them, in fact -- are working under labor contracts that expired more than a year ago, their futures left in limbo as union leaders slow dance with state negotiators.
More than three years after the surprise firing of a manager who helped cut litigation costs substantially, Los Angeles County government's legal expenses have shot back up to record levels.
Just a little over one year from today, Californians will elect a successor to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
California first lady Maria Shriver's exposure as a cell-phone law scofflaw this week highlights a serious issue: Motorists don't take the cell-phone law seriously.
Entertainment
Nov. 7--During the past year, there have been public signs that Christian pop music is on the rise.
M. SCOT'S MOVIE TALK
Nov. 7--Out of the explosion of diverse late-night talk-show hosts this season, from the yelling Mo'Nique on BET to George Lopez on TBS, the one show featuring a comic that may be worth a watch is "The Wanda Sykes Show" (Fox, 11 p.m.).
UA students get into the act as ART opens the Chicken Ranch in town
We have to admit to a big soft spot for the theater department at Tucson High Magnet School.
About 6,000 people showed up for the Reach Festival Saturday night at Pima County Fairgrounds, far less than the 15,000 that attended last year at Tucson Electric Park.
The North and South are at it again.
Sunday's All Souls Procession and subsequent Calexico concert are being filmed for a documentary about the event.
New on the blog this week:
And as the saying goes, 'You can look that up in your Funk & Wagnalls'
Nov. 7--EL PASO -- Pifas Silva is watching the opening montage from comedian Gabriel Iglesias' new, El Paso-filmed Comedy Central special, "I'm Not Fat ...
A virginal is the medieval cousin of the ancient Greek psaltery - or harp.
Nov. 7--One year into its Chicago run, and with its four stellar key performers now back in place, the musical "Million Dollar Quartet" has lost none of its crowd-pleasing energy nor raw musical exuberance.
The Tucson Musical Arts Club and the University of Arizona School of Music on Saturday will host the 10th annual Marguerite Ough Competition for graduate women studying voice.
EMINEM will star in the 3D film Shady Talez, his first film for seven years.
John S. Davis was 3 years old when he demonstrated an aptitude for music.
THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS
IN just a see-through vest top and pants, Rosie Oddie isn't wrong when she says she's not a good girl.
Nov. 6--Each of the four members of Scythian has extensive training in classical music.
Not that this seems to bother the indefatigable Jamie Cullum, writes BRIAN BOYD
Listen to Brother at Celtic Festival & Scottish Highland Games
THE DAY OF THE KAMIKAZE
GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK BBC1, 11.50pm David Strathairn stars in this story about broadcaster Edward R. Murrow's plucky stance against the anti-communist witch hunts in the 1950s.
NATALIE Portman looks every inch the bad girl as she poses for fashion magazine V. The actress - who sprang to fame as the child star of Leon in 1994 - plays a ballet dancer in new thriller Black Swan.
Nov. 6--Three Rivers Film Festival offers a wide range of screenings, from major directors and stars -- like Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp and Emily Blunt -- to lesser known, local filmmakers.
Nov. 6--Even if it's now theoretically possible to run into Russell Crowe or Anne Hathaway at Giant Eagle -- with all the recent Hollywood productions in town -- the real highlight of the cinematic year in Pittsburgh still is the annual Three Rivers Film Festival, now in its 28th year.