A blog about Politics and News.
Real Name: Gretchen Wenner Address: 1707 Eye Street Bakersfield, CA 93301 Member Since: November 01, 2007 Last Signed In: June 30, 2009 Profile Views: 1629 Blog Views: 31087 Arnold hot to change 3 at 50... More fee wrinkles... Sales taxes drop. Traffic fees rise. Wednesday night at the city council Fees a go: now to full council. And court? Let the media blitz begin: Homebuilders vs Thomas/Tandy-fees Never a dull moment in Bako politics Police and city: new suit, old wrinkle Slash your own salary: A trend! City money worries increase... Meeting: Hot and swampy moves fast November 07 December 07 January 08 February 08 March 08 April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 August 08 September 08 October 08 November 08 December 08 January 09 February 09 March 09 April 09 May 09 June 09 July 09 
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Among the latest budget ideas flowing from Sacramento these days is a proposal by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to revise the state's lucrative 3-at-50 retirement benefit.
Attached is a PDF of his proposal; click on the blue box at left to get it.
Note the Bee's story said it would affect state workers hired this Wednesday or later:
In addition, Schwarzenegger is asking Democrats to establish a far less lucrative retirement plan for state employees who are hired after Wednesday. The...
This whole issue might end up vanishing into the ether.
Or not.
And if not, wow. Implications for the city could be big.
For now, assertions the city has utterly botched accounting for its traffic fee program are just that.
But if homebuilders sue and if litigation delays the fee plan, that alone could be a major headache. The city needs five years of impact-fee data when it goes to bond the matching funds for the Thomas roads money, for example.
...
While we wait for the council to emerge from closed session, here's a quick take on what's to come (during the first part of the meeting they honored tons of top high school seniors...congratulations scholars!):
Sales tax revenues dropped sharply in the first (calendar) quarter of 2009...by 14 percent, more than the expected 7 percent, compared to the previous year (I have story in works for tomorrow.) The council will hear more about this tonight.
One thing: that decline is...
Just back from the packed committee meeting on traffic impact fees. (Homebuilders and city staff, mostly.)
Three TV cameras were there and a radio reporter. For a traffic fee story?
Well, it is interesting. And no fun for anyone involved, as committee members Ken Weir, Zack Scrivner and Harold Hanson noted before unanimously approving the higher fees.
The full city council will vote on the matter June 24th.
Gotta write my story now, but wanted to post this shot from my iPhone....
Got an e-mail this morning sent to moi and a bunch of other local media folks — including Inga and Jim Scott — from the local Home Builders Association. (Full text below.)
As we've been scribbling, the HBA is saber-rattling over proposed development fee increases on the way to a probable lawsuit.
The politically interesting bit of red meat here: The building industry is ramping up rhetoric against the Thomas roads money ($630 million for the city):
"...the City of...
This could get interesting...developers vs. the Thomas Machine?
- Gretchen Wenner, staff writer
Here's another molehill in the city vs. police drama: a lawsuit over standby pay.
How this will play into current negotiation ugliness is anyone's guess.
Add the budget drama on top, and this little suit has the potential to be the proverbial straw, or match, or...you fill in the blanks.
-- Gretchen Wenner, staff writer
Today, the third state lawmaker in two weeks volunteer to cut his pay (only 117 to go!).
Assemblyman Mike Eng, D-Monterey Park, joined Sen. Abel Maldonado, R- Santa Maria, in an 18 percent reduction.
Sen. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, agreed to a 10 percent reduction.
The three took action after a commission voted last month for an 18 percent pay cut for state elected officials. But the lower pay, by law, can't be forced mid-term.
Some counties and cities around California are doing the...
Bakersfield city staffers are worried the state might come after its gas-tax money, snagging about $4.8 million of the city's expected $6 million share.
The state already said it will borrow $2 billion in property tax revenues from cities and counties in the new fiscal year (Bako's share of that is about $6.5 million). Gas-tax siphoning would be on top of that.
Folks in Sacramento will spend all week crafting ways fix the $24.3 billion deficit in the next fiscal year. That's...
Ten minutes in and we're done with everything except budget presentations...fun meeting. A couple large swamp coolers at the front entrance. A fan here in the media area.
Bob Sherfy, deputy city attorney, is retiring; this is his last meeting.
I'll update during presentations if anything good crops up. No one commented during general open speaking period (as Bill Ware of the police union did last week, dropping a bomb on the proposed new phone system).
So my guess is no...
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