Sunroom Desk

Travel Demands Are A-Changing: So Should Our Spending – Planetizen, Sunday, April 12, 2009
Politicians and planners will be judged according to policies that improve walking, cycling and public transit services.

New York Times Writes on Traffic Nightmare Surrounding L.A. Schools – Streetsblog LA, Monday, April 13, 2009
Cites program turning parents into traffic cops; says traffic isn’t adequately controlled.

Utility backs green measure – Glendale News Press, Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Glendale Water & Power is on track to produce a third of its energy from renewable technology by 2010, meeting new energy standards proposed in bill.

L.A. to partner with 3 universities on clean technology – LA Times, Thursday, April 16, 2009
A goal of the joint effort with Caltech, UCLA and USC is to better compete for federal money for such programs and a proposed state climate change center.

Hooked on free Web services? Prepare to pay – LA Times, Sunday, April 5, 2009
The era of free web services may soon end.

Time to Recognize the Armenian Genocide – Adam Schiff in the Wall Street Journal, Weekend Edition April 4-5, 2009
The president should be as frank with the Turks as he was during the campaign.

In Turkey, Obama avoids the word ‘genocide’ – LA Times, Monday, April 6, 2009
His views on the mass killings of Armenians have not changed, but Obama avoids using the word “genocide” on his official visit to Turkey.

Google CEO sees newspaper future in advertising – Associated Press, Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Google CEO tells newspaper publishers their future is new advertising models

Envisioning the post-recession economy – LA Times, Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Whether “alternative fuels” or a “green economy,” answers to this crisis will be different than basing growth on consumer goods or housing.

Extra! - Talking Points Memo, Wednesday, April 8, 2009
A slideshow on bankruptcies, closures, and other upheavals in the newspaper industry.

Stephen Colbert Interviews Phil Bronstein – The Colbert Report, Wednesday, April 8, 2009
San Francisco Chronicle editor Phil Bronstein discusses the financial crisis in newspaper publishing.

Bail out journalism – LA Times, Thursday, April 9, 2009
Have the U.S. government underwrite “independent” journalism?

Can We Make Banks Smaller? – Ezra Klein, The American Prospect, Monday, March 30, 2009
A valuation cap of $300 million proposed to keep banks from getting “too big to fail.”

Invisible Energy: Government Oversight Makes Markets Work – David Goldstein, the National Resources Defense Council Blog – Monday, March 30, 2009
Regulation is necessary to make markets work efficiently.

“My Manhattan Project” – Calculated Risk, Monday, March 30, 2009
A posted confession from a man who wrote mortgage securitization software, followed by blistering comments.

Squandered tax dollars in Sacramento – Los Angeles Times, Thursday, April 2, 2009
Any amount of government waste is unacceptable to taxpayers.

Taming Populist Anger Is Big Test – Wall Street Journal, Thursday, April 2, 2009
Government must take steps to reverse income inequality, reallocate resources.

District website is panned – Glendale News Press, Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Critics say facts published on site implicitly endorse incumbents in the upcoming school board election.

Video: Another cautionary Card Check tale – Hot Air Blog, Wednesday, March 25, 2009
A clear example of why employees need secret-ballot elections for unionization, and how Card Check can be used by union thugs to gain access to workplaces illegitimately. (This blog entry also links to several previous posts on the card check legislation.)

Follow Obama’s lead: Invest in Teachers – LA Times, Thursday, March 26, 2009
LAUSD should not be issuing pink slips, but looking for $1 billion in stimulus funding to save jobs and improve education.

Union declines pay raise – Glendale News Press, Friday, March 27, 2009
Glendale Firefighters Association votes to forgo two years of pay raises totaling up to $3 million to address city budget problems.

Union’s division hinders its progress – Glendale News Press, Friday, March 27, 2009
Columnist, educator, and union member Dan Kimber deplores heated union rhetoric and division in this school board election cycle.

Business Beats Card Check—For Now – Wall Street Journal, Friday, March 27, 2009
The more Americans know about the bill’s antidemocratic provisions, the more they hate it. Unions are facing united opposition to the bill in its current form.

French Executives Surrender Stock Options, Responding to Protests – Wall Street Journal, Friday, March 27, 2009
After GDR workers went on strike, top officers renounced their stock options and offered to share profits with all group employees. Public fury in France over business leaders’ pay packages has escalated as the economy sours and unemployment rises. (Full article only available to WSJ subscribers.)

The Appeasers – Michael Ledeen, Pajamas Media, Sunday, March 15, 2009
Comparing Zakaria’s international policy recommendations to Neville Chamberlin’s disastrous appeasement strategy before World War II.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper goes Web-only – Associated Press, Monday, March 16, 2009
Another print newspaper falls, but this one will try to survive in web-only format.

The futile arrogance of AIG outrage – Hot Air Blog, Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Obama could have dealt rationally with AIG by refusing to give it more funds, letting it go bankrupt, and letting its contracts with hedge funds and senior executives lapse as a result.

Hedge Funds May Get AIG Cash – Wall Street Journal, Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Government using taxpayer money to allow AIG to settle hedge fund bets against housing sector.

“The Tipping Point”? – Economist’s View, Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Will AIG bonuses be the tipping point that forces this administration to rethink its economic rescue policies?

Barney Frank Cannot Hide His Fannie Role – Patterico’s Pontifications, Thursday, March 19, 2009
Barney Frank’s attempts to blame everyone else for the financial mess aren’t convincing this blogger.

Obama’s AIG Panic – Wall Street Journal, Thursday, March 19, 2009
Obama’s economic team is fumbling.

Newspaper cuts open door to more political trickery – LA Times, Friday, March 20, 2009
Who will tell us what’s going on behind closed doors if all the investigative reporters lose their jobs?

Obama Gets Personal About Education – Washington Post, Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Obama recounts his mother’s devotion to his own educational attainment; calls for teacher merit pay and parent involvement.

Obama Outlines Plan for Education Overhaul – New York Times, Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Early childhood education, teacher pay for performance part of president’s initiative.

Scarborough, Cramer Fire Back At Daily Show’s Stewart – MSNBC.com – Tuesday, March 10, 2009
MSNBC has a political take on Jon Stewart’s focus on Rick Santelli, CNBC, and Jim Cramer.

Stewart, Santelli, and Sarcasm – Big Hollywood, Thursday, March 12, 2009
Analysis of Jon Stewart’s rhetoric in last week’s Rick Santelli/CNBC rant.

The Daily Show – Thursday, March 12, 2009
Jon Stewart’s full episode interview with Jim Cramer.

Secret Ballots are Free Choice – Wall Street Journal, Thursday, March 12, 2009
Orwellian language being used to justify ‘card check’.