Governor Participates in Silicon Valley Leadership Group’s Business Climate Summit
The Governor participated in the discussion California’s Competitiveness at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group’s 7th Annual CEO Business Climate Summit.
Posts Tagged ‘Governor’
Enforcement nightmare ahead
[Guest post by Xandra Grube.]
On January 27, 2010, Freshwater Tissue Company owner Bob Simpson applied for a permit from the Regional Water Quality Control Board (Water Board) to discharge waste water from the proposed production of toilet paper at the Samoa Pulp Mill property into the Pacific Ocean. On March 29, 2010, the Water Board sent a letter advising interested parties that a draft NPDES (National Pollution Discharge Elimination System) permit is available for review and that the Water Board will consider the draft permit and associated order at its June 10, 2010, meeting.
The letter states that the Freshwater Tissue Company (FTC) has already “acknowledged that it cannot immediately comply with the applicable Effluent Limitation Guidelines established for the production of Bleached Kraft Pulp and Unbleached Kraft Pulp.” Therefore, the letter states, the Water Board is proposing a “companion cease and desist order” the specifics of which are not yet available. Presumably, the cease and desist order is intended to be in place until the mill is able to meet the discharge requirements. The letter states that unless there is “significant public comment“ or objection from the federal EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), a permit adopted on June 10, 2010, will become effective on that date. The public comment period will end on April 29, 2010.
At an informational hearing held on March 25, 2010, at the Wharfinger Building, Water Board staffer Charles Reed summarized the history of the Samoa Pulp Mill with regard to waste water discharge requirements and violations. This mill has continuously been in violation of water quality standards. He also stated that the federal regulators want all pulp mills to comply equally to standards, i.e., a pulp mill in Virginia or Indiana should not be impacting the population surrounding it any more or less than a pulp mill in California does.
Many people in the know do not believe the pulp mill will be able to reopen because there are so many agencies whose standards and requirements need to be met. However, it appears that some directive is coming down from the governor’s office to expedite the reopening of the pulp mill by putting the mill on a schedule of compliance. Given the past history of violations of water and air quality standards, it looks like an enforcement nightmare ahead.
Schwarzenegger appeals decision as next ‘Furlough Friday’ looms
Attorneys representing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger have asked an appellate court to block the order that ended “Furlough Fridays” for tens of thousands of state workers, but leaves others taking off three unpaid days each month.
The governor’s move came just four days before the government is scheduled to shut down again. The court will probably act quickly, legal experts said, given that informal deadline.
But some state workers, who just a week ago were celebrating a furlough lawsuit win that they hoped would return regular schedules and full pay to at least some colleagues, were feeling whipsawed by the governor’s latest move.
“People were happy,” said Renee Lee, an activist with Service Employees International Union Local 1000. “Now they’re mad again. They want this to end. People just want to get on with their lives.”
The uncertainty also comes as state workers and their families are trying to plan for a holiday weekend. State offices are closed Wednesday for Cesar Chavez Day, and many workers made Easter weekend plans thinking Friday was a furlough day. Until the judge rules, they won’t know for sure.
The governor’s appeal seeks to delay Alameda County Judge Frank Roesch’s order to end furloughs for employees in about 70 departments that get a significant slice of their budgets from sources outside the state’s deficit-ridden general fund. Those departments employ roughly a third of the 200,000 employees on furlough.
Roesch agreed to postpone his ruling ordering back pay for the furlough days until Schwarzenegger’s appeal can be heard. But he refused to postpone the order on furloughs themselves, saying state employees should head back to work while lawyers fight it out in the appellate court.
Now Schwarzenegger has appealed that decision.
Roesch’s decision threatens to irreparably damage the government and “has created confusion and disparity,” Schwarzenegger’s lawyers said in Monday’s court filings.
“For example, if (Roesch’s) rulings and judgment are not stayed, the state will be faced with a situation in which state employees performing like work will or will not be furloughed depending upon the funding source,” the governor’s lawyers argued. That breaks with the concept of equal pay for equal jobs in state civil service.
When presented with that argument in Roesch’s courtroom last year, the unions successfully argued that state law requires the governor to take into account things like a department’s funding source before furloughing workers.
The law, union attorney Adam Zapala said at the time, “requires the government to use a scalpel” and perform “an individualized analysis” of department needs when cutting employee hours.
That wasn’t done, the unions said, so the furloughs are irrational.
Look for the appellate court to move quickly on Schwarzenegger’s request, said Sacramento attorney Wendy York.
“The more significant the legal issues, the more attention these cases receive from the appellate courts,” York said.
A deadline seems to help. In January, after Roesch ordered the state to end furloughs for roughly 35,000 correctional officers, Schwarzenegger asked the 1st Distict Court of Appeal to block the mandate while the governor appealed the decision behind it.
The governor’s attorneys filed the petition for writ of supersedeas on Jan. 13. The court granted it on Jan. 15. The two sides are still battling at the appellate level – and correctional officers are still on furlough.
Governor Signs $10,000 Homebuyer Tax Credit Legislation
Governor Schwarzenegger held a press conference where he signed AB 183 by Assemblymember Anna Caballero and Senator Roy Ashburn to provide a tax credit of up to $10,000 to Californians who are buying their first home or purchasing a brand new home.
Governor & Secretary Salazar Break Ground on Dept. of the Interior’s Largest Economic Stimulus Project in the Nation
The Governor joined U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and deliver remarks at the groundbreaking of the Fish Passage Improvement Project at the Red Bluff Diversion Dam.
Governor Announces Legislation to Increase Opportunities for Organ Donation, Create First-in-the-Nation Living Donor Registry
The Governor held a press conference to announce the introduction and his sponsorship of SB 1395, legislation that will make it easier for Californians to affirm their preferred organ donor status.
Governor Announces Legislation to Increase Opportunities for Organ Donation, Create First-in-the-Nation Living Donor Registry
The Governor held a press conference to announce the introduction and his sponsorship of SB 1395, legislation that will make it easier for Californians to affirm their preferred organ donor status.
Gosh. Who do you think commissioned this poll? [Humboldt Mirror]
Oh and Bon Bon–a quick thought, if we may: When conducting super-stealthy push polls, it’s generally a good idea to avoid polling members of the opposition’s campaign team.
Ventura on KSLG
Speaking of conspiracy theories — like the one about 9/11 as recently discussed in comments on this blog — former Minnesota Governor Jesse “The Body” Ventura will be live with John Matthews tomorrow morning on KSLG to discuss his new book American Conspiracies: Lies, Lies, and More Dirty Lies that the Government Tells Us. Tune in at 7:30am.
Ventura was recently censored by the Huffington Post for an article he wrote on 9/11, but the piece was republished here (excerpt below).
You didn’t see anything about it in the mainstream media, but at a recent conference in San Francisco, more than 1,000 architects and engineers signed a petition demanding that Congress begin a new investigation into the destruction of the three World Trade Center skyscrapers on 9-11.
That’s right, these people put their reputations in potential jeopardy — because they don’t buy the government’s version of events. They want to know how 200,000 tons of steel disintegrated and fell to the ground in 11 seconds. They question whether the hijacked planes were responsible or whether it could have been a controlled demolition from inside that brought down the twin towers and WTC Building 7.
Governor Highlights Job Creation at SKECHERS Groundbreaking
Gov. Schwarzenegger highlighted job creation at the groundbreaking of the new, state-of-the-art SKECHERS North American Operations Headquarters. The SKECHERS facility will create 1,100 construction jobs and 3,000 permanent jobs in the local area.
Governor Announces Partnership with Microsoft to Provide Free Technology Job Training for Californians
Governor Schwarzenegger announced that California will join forces with Microsoft to provide free technology training to thousands of Californians through Elevate America, Microsoft’s innovative program to enhance the technical job skills of individuals across the country.
Governor Honors Military Women at The Women’s Conference’s Day at The Museum
Governor Schwarzenegger joined First Lady Maria Shriver and delivered remarks at the Honoring Our Women in the Military event during the Women’s Conference’s Day at The Museum in honor of Women’s History Month.
Governor Schwarzenegger Delivers Remarks at California Charter Schools Conference
Governor Schwarzenegger delivered remarks at the 17th Annual California Charter Schools Conference highlighting the need to provide funding for charter schools and options for students and parents.
Governor Honors Military Women at The Women’s Conference’s Day at The Museum
Governor Schwarzenegger joined First Lady Maria Shriver and delivered remarks at the Honoring Our Women in the Military event during the Women’s Conference’s Day at The Museum in honor of Women’s History Month.
Welcome home, Vietnam vets
[Guest post by Carl Young]
It’s finally official. Thirty-five years after the war ended in Vietnam, a welcoming home for the Veterans of the Vietnam war has been established.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill last September, AB 717, which calls for an annual “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day” on March 30. The Board of Supervisors, and local cities will be doing resolutions supporting it. Sadly, local veterans are deeply split on the issue of even having a day for Vietnam veterans.
Our country was deeply divided during the Vietnam war, and at times some people were hostile to the returning veterans. Those memories still haunt some Vietnam veterans. The damage done to our fellow Vietnam veterans, and their families, is incalculable. Many will never see their “Welcome Home,” because they prematurely died due to aliments associated with their military service.
I support the establishment of this long overdue day of remembrance, in which 58,000 U.S. troops died and more than 300,000 were wounded. These statistics don’t include the number of suicides, mental health, destroyed families and the illnesses directed associated with our service.
Additionally there is the possibility that many other birth defects and aliments suffered by our children are because of their parents exposure to Agent Orange. The Department of Veterans Affairs only recognizes a few birth defects like Spina bifida.
I think Daniel L. Lawrence, President, of the Humboldt Memorial Chapter 781, Vietnam Veterans of America summed it up well, “We are the only defenders of freedom in this country to be vilified, berated and shunned by our own people. If this resolution brings peace to many Vietnam vets then I am all for it. It’s said that time heals all wounds. I guess not enough time has passed for me to heal my wounds. I am pleased that our country has chosen to not place the blame for this current war on those who doing the fighting. instead placing the blame where it belongs on our so called leadership. For all the problems these new veterans will face, being shunned by their own people will not be one of them.”
Maybe, California’s enactment of a special day to recognize Vietnam veterans will encourage other states to follow, someday making it a national holiday. I also support the idea of establishing a similar day for the forgotten veterans of the Korean War. It’s the very least we can do for those who served so faithfully.
I encourage everyone to attend the reading of the Resolutions with the following government agencies: Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, on March 23, at 9:00 a.m; the Fortuna City Council meeting on March 15 at 6:00 p.m.; Ferndale (already presented March 4th); Rio Dell March 16th at 6:30Pm and the City of Arcata March 17, at 6:00 p.m. As far as I know, there aren’t any other plans locally to recognize this special day for Vietnam veterans on March 30.
Lastly, I would like to thank the folks at the Eureka VA and Mental Health Clinics and our local Vet Center for the excellent care they provide. I’m hopeful the VA can further support local medical and mental health providers and our veterans through the “fee basis” program, and the establishment of local VA speciality clinics. The professionalism of the staff has been remarkable, as well as the coordination of care with local providers.
