LA Times Editors Say Gang Members Deserve Amnesty By Dan Stein, Immigration Reform,   5/17/13 LA Times Editors Say Gang Members Deserve Amnesty “The Senate Judiciary Committee is just beginning its markup of the bipartisan immigration bill, but already opponents and supporters of the sweeping legislation are fighting over which immigrants should be allowed to [...]

  Ammiano, 17th Assembly District AB 4 – TRUST Act  IN BRIEF   Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, The TRUST Act (Transparency and Responsibility Using State Tools), AB 4, will address the harmful impact of California’s participation in the federal government’s controversial “Secure Communities” (S-Comm) deportation program. The bill will provide essential safeguards to address serious concerns [...]

  Blue vs. Blue California’s powerful teachers’ union condemns Democratic reformers. Larry Sand, City Journal,   5/16/13 If not for the activism of the California Democratic Party’s most prominent special-interest group, the state party convention last month would have been a humdrum affair. The party’s top officials, including governor Jerry Brown and attorney general Kamala Harris, [...]

  Jerry Brown: California’s Mystery Man Bill Boyarsky, City Watch LA,   5/17/13  One of California’s great mysteries is the state’s governor, Jerry Brown. In a time when America’s politicians strive to be everywoman and everyman, Brown goes his own way. While a nation frantically chases youth, the 75-year-old governor who glories in his age and [...]

  LA is B-R-O-K-E by Jack Humphreville, City Watch LA,  5/17/13 LA WATCHDOG - Even the most casual observer knows the City is cooking the books. We are all familiar with the angst associated with the annual budget.  But this year is a cake walk as General Fund revenues are projected to increase by $325 million, [...]

  The Economic and Criminal Consequences of Raising the Tobacco Tax by Joel Fox, City Watch LA,   5/17/13 SIN TAX POLITICS - The legislature seems intent on fast tracking a cigarette tax increase, passing it through two senate committees on the same day last week despite economic and criminal consequences that could arise if the tax [...]

  CO2 Emission Permit Prices Plunge In Europe: What’s Up? By Adele Morris, Real Clear Markets,  5/17/13 Recent headlines proclaim “deep trouble” in the European cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gases, evidenced by the decline in allowance spot prices from over $25 per metric ton of carbon dioxide in June 2008 to about $3 this month. [...]

  No new court funding in California budget revision Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed May budget revision puts no new money into the judicial branch, leaving the funding level unchanged from January. That means court funding will stay at $1.2 billion unless lawmakers act to restore some of the $1 billion-plus in cuts absorbed by the [...]

  Canada invades Silicon Valley with new startup visa in tow Canada’s Immigration Minister is leading a road show May 17-20 to entice Silicon Valley entrepreneurs with the country’s new Start-Up Visa Program. Lauren Hepler, Silicon Valley Business Journal, 5/17/13 Arizona has done it. Utah has done it. Virginia has done it. Now Canada is [...]

  Survey: Doctors, nurse practitioners disagree on scope of nurses’ role José Martinez, KPCC,  5/16/13 Rosaura Guizar, a patient at UMMA Community Clinic in South Los Angeles, is examined by Simmi Gandhi, a nurse practitioner at UMMA. A recent survey suggests that most nurse practitioners believe they should be able to lead their own practices [...]