An unlined segment of the Second Los Angeles Aqueduct south of Manzanar near U.S. Route 395. (Photo: Gann Matsuda)What does a Central Valley almond farmer have in common with a San Diego homeowner? The answer is simple: Water. More specifically, the amount of water they need to sustain their respective lifestyles — which is a lot.
Image by Tim Foster, Capitol WeeklyCalifornia’s 2014 primary election had its fair share of surprises, but none was greater than David Evans, a virtually unknown candidate for state controller who was just seven-tenths of 1 percent away from beating both Betty Yee and John Perez to capture the coveted second spot and move on to the general election. This was a shock to political insiders, most of whom had never heard of him.
A bank oif vending machines entice a customer. (Photo: Deymos.HR, via Shutterstock)If you buy it in a grocery store, you don’t pay sales taxes. If you buy it from a vending machine, you do. Fair? Assemblyman Matthew Dababneh doesn’t think so, but so far some of his colleagues disagree.
Clean-energy advocates demonstrate on the steps of the state Public Utilities Commission, which is covered by the anti-secrecy law known as the Bagley-Keene Act. A California law intended to block secret decisions in the state bureaucracy actually prevents officials from talking to each other on crucial matters, according to their testimony before a state investigative panel. The issue, which intensified in the wake of recent activities at the California Public Utilities Commission, arises from changes in the 1967 Bagley-Keene Act, which is intended to assure the public’s access to the actions of state boards and commissions.