The suit arose after 44th Assembly representative Anthony Portantino’s staff was furloughed, the result of California Assembly leader Perez’s abrupt cut-off of funds to that office. Perez has now announced a “task force” to address the matter. Why is any “task force” needed? What is being scrubbed before it is dragged into the light of day?

Today’s LA Times op-ed, Shaming California, gets to the heart of the matter:

… it has brought necessary public and media attention to the fact that California’s elected representatives receive unequal resources to perform their duties, and that the allocations, controlled by a small group of Capitol party bosses, are often based on a system of whims, grudges and rewards. A member who unquestioningly follows marching orders may end up with a larger staff and therefore be better positioned to represent the needs of his district. Another member who is less reliably deferential may be required to serve her constituents with fewer tools at her disposal. The result is unequal representation for Californians in their state government, based on the obedience quotient of the legislator elected in the community they happen to inhabit.

More questions:

How is it that Portantino’s suggestion that his vote was punished by withholding of funds wasn’t immediately met with absolute transparency and disclosure of how all those funds are allocated?

How can our elected state representatives truly serve their constituents if they can’t vote their conscience because it may effect their administrative budgets?

Every single scrap of paper related to assembly members’ administrative budgets should be released now, and the rules explained, so constituents know their representation isn’t being compromised.

Some other pending bills directed at local government proceedings:

AB 148: Requires local agencies to post the ethics training records of all elected members on the agencies’ Internet Web site, if any, to submit a copy of the records to the State Controller within 90 days of receiving them, and requiring the Controller to withhold funds if the agency doesn’t comply with these requirements.

AB 229: Requires the Controller to develop a plan to review and report the financial and compliance audits of local agencies, and to review and monitor audit reports performed by independent auditors, using official audit guidelines.

AB 253: Requires the State Controller to establish uniform accounting and reporting principles for local agencies and special districts.

And more: AB 276, AB 392, AB 527, AB 582, AB 834, AB 1344, and AB 1350.

Its not that most of these bills are bad ideas, but state legislators need to focus this kind of attention on state-level problems.

The Environmental Impact Report should estimate pollution impacts, traffic impacts, disaster cost and public safety impacts, and the relative costs/benefits and impacts of funding this project instead of a multi-mode transit alternative.

There is a public meeting tonight in La Canada, and comments on the scoping process will be accepted through April 14.

Glendale voters: cast your vote in today’s municipal election, and make your voices heard on the 710 gap/tunnel proposal which will affect the whole region even if no route goes through this city.

Today is the last day to register to vote in Glendale’s upcoming municipal election. Go to the Glendale City Clerk’s webpage glendalevotes.org for more information on the upcoming election, and on how to register.

Today at 6 p.m., Metro is offering an online open house, a web-based interactive version of its Series 3 “710 Conversations” on the scoping process; the public can provide input to Metro and Caltrans on their plan (as yet undefined) to close the 710 gap. The final Series 3 meeting in Glendale will be at GCC, Tuesday, March 22 (check this listing for details).

Today at 7 p.m., the Glendale Homeowners Coordinating Council is participating in a joint meeting with the Glendale Unified School District in the district boardroom, 223 N. Jackson St., to discuss the state of Glendale schools and Prop. S. Call (818) 249-8642 for more information.

Consultants have completed Series 2 on the California Environmental Quality Act and National Environmental Protection Act (the Star-News published this report on the South Pasadena meeting) and are now proceeding through Series 3 while Caltrans solicits input on scoping issues. Why continue to drain public time and money, when the project isn’t even clearly defined and cost estimates that exist range from $3 billion to $14 billion? How can such expense be worth it when the state has so many pressing needs?

At Glendale High School Saturday, state legislators and Congressman Adam Schiff met with stakeholders to discuss state education funding. The meeting was open to the public, but most attendees were school board members, administrators, and teachers. Field Elementary School Principal Ana Maria Apodaca said her school library is closed because it can’t afford a librarian; Rowland High School senior Henna Idrees said a class preparing students for academic competition has been canceled; and Clark Magnet High School Senior Lyova Zalyan said Clark no longer holds 7th period classes, and has seven fewer teachers than last year.

Legislators commented after the presentations: State Senator Carol Liu said Governor Brown has taken a bold step by proposing to eliminate redevelopment agencies; State Assemblyman Anthony Portantino emphasized “We have to get our priorities straight and our priority should be educating our kids.” The Glendale News-Press covered the event further in its Sunday edition.

Back to digging ourselves out of a hole: Governor Brown should consider cutting off all state funding for 710 freeway extension studies, starting now. Billions of dollars could be better spent. A 6-mile tunnel, through a known earthquake zone, facilitating more vehicle traffic and pollution, likely to rack up egregious cost overruns well past its incredibly expensive low-ball estimates, is a project California should stop now, and it should be a top target for legislators looking for funds to reallocate.

The league’s public service event will be held in city council chambers, Glendale City Hall, 613 E. Broadway, and will begin at 7 p.m.

The League is currently soliciting questions from the public for the candidates. Questions can be submitted via telephone – (818) 925-4598, or via the League website – www.lwvglendaleburbank.org. The forum is also open to the public and written questions can be submitted that night.

Check the web for other important events: the GUSD candidates forum in the school district board room (March 3), the eco-community gardening day (March 5), the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast (March 10), and more.

“Let us count the ways this is a bad idea,” says the San Francisco Chronicle, in its January 27 article California PUC, foundation are too darn cozy. “The aftermath of the September disaster in San Bruno has raised many disturbing questions about the regulator’s seemingly deferential approach to PG&E on matters of safety regulation…A PUC foundation bankrolled in part by utility dollars is only going to advance that perception…”

The event drew protesters accusing the CPUC of poor oversight leading up to the explosion in San Bruno, and citizens who have been petitioning the CPUC to halt smart meter installations state-wide.

Articles on the new foundation and last week’s protests:
CPUC launches new controversial foundation
Assemblyman Jerry Hill blasts PUC over utilities’ contribution to PUC foundation

Glendale Water and Power was unaware of the new foundation, and sent no money or staff to the fundraising event, according to Atineh Haroutunian, GWP Public Benefits Coordinator.

Two Views of Hindsight
Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission’s 10 Major Findings, January 27 on The Huffington Post, stresses the findings that the crisis could have been avoided; and that poor regulation, excessive borrowing, risky investments, lack of transparency, breakdowns in accountability and ethics, poor lending standards, and overheated speculation in derivatives were to blame.

Culprits from Beltway Casting, a January 28 Wall Street Journal editorial, implies that the commission decided on its villains (bankers) before the study commenced, and asks why more blame isn’t assigned to federal policies and the operations of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

For those still interested in deciding for themselves: hearings and testimony on which the final report was based are available online at this link. I saw the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission Report on a Barnes & Noble table of business titles at The Americana this past weekend. It has larger dimensions than a typical paperback, small type, and small margins that make its 662 pages daunting reading and the entire book a hefty paperweight itself.

Looking Forward
While Quinlan fielded a question about the report (his take was that all actors, from individual loan applicants, to mortgage processors, to Wall Street, regulators, and politicians, could share the blame), his focus was how America could regain its economic footing in the wake of the financial crisis.

The U.S. is still the world leader in intellectual capital, Quinlan observed, and its economy has been kinder to college graduates while offering the world’s best rewards for intellectual innovation and entrepreneurship. At the basic level, he says, the U.S. needs to produce far more math- and science-proficient high school graduates prepared to become technically-skilled workers. The average high school graduation rate in the U.S. is about 70 percent, while in many inner cities it is far lower. In contrast, the graduation rate in Seoul, Korea is 98 percent. Quinlan also observed that the financial crisis has made it even clearer that current investments – in overseas military operations, and domestic health care and social safety nets – are drawing vital resources down and reducing our investment in education.

Quinlan said the U.S. shouldn’t concentrate on physical exports as a measure of economic competitiveness, but should promote overall commercial business overseas. When asked about market-based approaches to developing green and low-carbon energy alternatives, Quinlan answered that we “aren’t there yet” and that government incentives would have to play a role in the transition to sustainable energy technologies. He also offered some interesting suggestions for U.S. – China cooperation in managing the flow of oil from the Middle East.

Those attending heard fascinating insights on the state of the world today, investments in developing countries, and possibilities for regional economic collaboration and growth.

Other panelists will be California Assembly representative Khatcho Achadjian (33rd District) and KPFK Producer and On-Air Host Maria Armoudian. The event’s sponsor, Analysis Research and Planning for Armenia (ARPA), is inviting youth organizations, university student unions and members of the public interested in this subject.

The program begins at 7:30 p.m. and will be held at Merdinian Auditorium, 13330 Riverside Dr. Sherman Oaks.

Event Flyer

Instead of attributing financial motives or industry ties to climate change detractors, Conway suggested they are motivated by “free market fundamentalism,” and act in the belief that they are defending the U.S. against its enemies. The irony, said Conway, is that delays in addressing climate change means future solutions could be more draconian.

The research he and co-author Naomi Oreskes completed for Merchants of Doubt is a fascinating look at 20th century science, and made for an interesting evening of questions and discussion at the library.

For those who missed it, read Merchants of Doubt, and be sure to follow the city of Glendale on Twitter to learn about upcoming author events at the library. Better yet, become a member of the Friends of the Glendale Library, to support free community programs like this.