Month: December 2008

Lt. Governor Garamendi Speaks in Davis

Lt. Governor Garamendi Speaks in Davis

By David GreenwaldDecember 31, 200818 comments

Last night, Lt. Governor John Garamendi spoke at the Davis home of UC Davis Law Professor John Oakley and County Clerk Freddie Oakley. Garamendi who formerly served as a State Senator for the City of Davis is a Democratic candidate for Governor in 2010. Thank you to my wife Cecilia who took the photos and recorded the speech in my stead as I was under the weather. Here are some of the Lt. Governor’s remarks.

We’re in the process of making some absolutely crucial decisions about the future of California. I don’t think we really understand how important this period is that we’re living.

As Regional and State Growth Rates Fall, What Will Be the Impact on Davis?

As Regional and State Growth Rates Fall, What Will Be the Impact on Davis?

By David GreenwaldDecember 28, 200848 comments

The Sacramento Bee reported back on December 18, 2008 that the regional and state growth rates have fallen to its lowest levels in more than a decade.

In six counties surrounding Sacramento which include Yolo, Sutter, Yuba, Placer, El Dorado and Sacramento Counties, the growth rate from July 1, 2007 to July 1, 2008 was only 1.39%. Separately, Yolo County grew at 1.46 percent adding around 3,000 people. Placer was the fastest growing county in California at 2.6 percent. Sacramento grew at a rate below the statewide level at 1.11 percent.

The Rise of New Investigative Reporting

The Rise of New Investigative Reporting

By David GreenwaldDecember 27, 200818 comments
imageOPen Government

Back in November the New York Times had an interesting article, the focus was on a San Diego blog–Voice of San Diego.

Writes the New York Times:

“Over the last two years, some of this city’s darkest secrets have been dragged into the light — city officials with conflicts of interest and hidden pay raises, affordable housing that was not affordable, misleading crime statistics.

A look at Deep Throat, Investigative Reporting, and the Role of Deep Throat in Watergate

A look at Deep Throat, Investigative Reporting, and the Role of Deep Throat in Watergate

By David GreenwaldDecember 26, 200810 comments
imageOPen Government

Given that it is the day after Christmas, I thought we would talk about something a little different from what we usual talk about. As a fan of and a recent practitioner of investigative reporting, the story of Deep Throat and Woodward and Bernstein has been intriguing to me. Woodward and Bernstein’s investigative reporting during Watergate started a new era and inspired young journalists in hopes of becoming the next muckraking reporter.

The past week marked the passing of Mark Felt at the age of 95. Mark Felt in 2005 revealed that he was in fact the mysterious Deep Throat, Bob Woodward’s deep background source in the early Watergate stories. Much controversy surrounds the actions of Deep Throat, even to this day. To many who considered Watergate an appalling abuse of power and a true threat to the very fabric of democracy, Mark Felt is a hero and a whistle blower who put the country first. Others consider him disloyal for leaking at best secret information available to him at his position as the No.2 man in the FBI.

Dispute with UC Lingers; Senator Calls For Mediated Settlement

Dispute with UC Lingers; Senator Calls For Mediated Settlement

By David GreenwaldDecember 21, 200836 comments
imageCalifornia

In July, roughly 8,500 University of California (UC) service workers went out on strike in protest of poverty wages. At this point there is no agreement between the workers and the UC Regents. Now, a mediated settlement has been presented to the UC administration. Senator Leland Yee, who joined workers represented by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME 3299) on the picket lines in July, is calling on the University to accept this new proposal.

Word to the Wise: Local Heroes In Our Own Community

Word to the Wise: Local Heroes In Our Own Community

By David GreenwaldDecember 21, 20084 comments
imageCity of Davis

By E.A. Roberts
____________

On December 4, 2008, I had the privilege of attending the eighth annual Heroes Award Luncheon, put on by the Yolo County Chapter of the American Red Cross. My youngest daughter Lara Musser was one among the group of heroes being honored. For the holiday season, I thought I would describe this life affirming event, that was so uplifting and restored my faith in human courage and sacrifice. When necessary, ordinary citizens will do whatever it takes to save the life of another.

AG Brown’s Surprising Friday Evening Announcement on Prop 8

AG Brown’s Surprising Friday Evening Announcement on Prop 8

By David GreenwaldDecember 20, 200816 comments
imageCalifornia

In my new job, I get a lot of press releases from statewide officials. On a Friday evening I was not really expecting big news, although it has been an unusual week in the Capital with the budget battle waging. Still you have to believe that if the Attorney General is sending out a Friday at 5 pm press release, he’s hoping to bury the news.

In General the Attorney General defends statewide propositions that get challenged in the legal system, regardless of his personal beliefs. And there might be some wiggle room here since you have two conflicting aspects of the California constitution.

Water Issue: Can Council Stop This Runaway Locomotive?

Water Issue: Can Council Stop This Runaway Locomotive?

By David GreenwaldDecember 18, 20088 comments

In January of 2007, the Vanguard featured an article entitled: “Tracing the recent history of the water supply project.” In it, we argued that there was a series of decisions that changed the trajectory of water policy to become a far more expansive and more expensive project than the original course of action. The remarkable feature is that at no point was a decision actually made to proceed with this project. Instead, there were a series of staff recommendations approved by council to explore various options which lumped together became a decision.

This is very important in trying to understand where we are right now. There is a basic inertial quality to this issue that is rather remarkable. There are basically two forces driving the process, neither of which are necessarily council approval. First, the concern that we will lose our place in line. Second, the concern that down the line the costs of construction will increase if we delay now.

Vanguard Looks At Increasing Election Costs

Vanguard Looks At Increasing Election Costs

By David GreenwaldDecember 18, 200826 comments
imageSchools

Tonight, the Davis School Board will most likely vote to pass an election consolidation measure which will move school board elections to the November General Elections as opposed to the current arrangement of the November Election in odd years.

The overriding factor here is cost and the rising cost imposed on the school district by the County has made this move necessary. Because the other districts in the county have already moved their elections to even years, the school district would have to bear full cost of running an election.

Electoral College: California Selects Obama

Electoral College: California Selects Obama

By David GreenwaldDecember 16, 20080 comments


On Monday, California formalized what the voters had done on November 4, casting its 55 electoral votes to President-Elect Barack Obama.

The ceremonial procedure took place on the floor of the California Assembly where electors gathered from across the state along with numerous elected officials. The media turnout for the event was somewhat lower than normal because the Republicans chose the same time slot to announce their budget priorities.