CaliforniaCityNews.org

Dirtiest Hotels in US? California's Got Two of Em

THe online travel site TripAdvisor has put out a list of the "10 Diritiest Hotels in the US," based on its own user's ratings.

The #1 Dirtiest turns out to be in San Francisco, the Heritage Marina.  Fully 80 percent of site users recomend against staying here, with comments focusing on bug infestations and poor ambiance.  Praise for the hotel included "could have been worse."

Also in the top (or is it bottom?) 10 was the Capistrano Seaside Inn, Capistrano Beach -- which actually has lower ratings than the #1 Heritage Marina.  Fully 94 percent recommend against this unfortunate inn, with one review leading “Thought we had gone to the wrong address..."  Others titled their reviews things like "Regrettable" and two actually lead with "Stay away."

See the full Top 10 list here.

An Open Letter from LA Councilwoman Janice Hahn

The following is an open letter from Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn, a candidate for Lt. Governor:

Dear local elected officials:

On January 11th of this year, I joined other elected officials to announce the start of signature gathering for the Californians to Protect Local Taxpayers and Vital Services ballot initiative that will forever protect local governments from financial raids by politicians in Sacramento.

We stood together to protect the people in the communities that you and I represent; to protect essential law enforcement and fire services; and to protect the quality of life that our constituents deserve. This measure will allow us, at the local level, to do the job that we were elected to do without interference from a state government that is incapable of managing its own fiscal affairs.

Here in Los Angeles, we have struggled to balance our city’s budget and been forced to make difficult decisions.  These efforts have been exasperated by the constant theft of our dollars from Sacramento.

I am running for Lieutenant Governor to give local governments and the people we represent a strong voice in Sacramento. I'm writing you because I need your support in that effort.  Will you join my team and endorse my candidacy for Lieutenant Governor?  Click here to endorse me.
 
Sincerely,
 
Janice Hahn
Councilwoman
City of Los Angeles
 

Controller Says State Will Be Out of Cash April 1

Sound familiar?  State Controller John Chiang is saying that -- barring "prompt action" by the legislature -- the state will run out of cash come April.  So, pretty much, the state is going to run out of cash come April.

This has the makings of a Groundhog's Day-esque rerun of last year's saga of IOUs, RANs and budget stalemate.  As Chiang wrote "While reasonable minds may disagree about the solutions, there is no room for debate about the folly of doing nothing."  In a letter to the Governor and top legislators, Chiang forecasted:

"My analysis of the Governor’s recently released revenue and expenditure estimates shows that the State’s cash position for the remainder of the current fiscal year will be weak from approximately March 30 through April 21. This upcoming shortfall is shallower in depth and shorter in duration than the State’s cash problems in the spring of 2009, when the problem started earlier in the year and grew progressively worse with each passing month. According to my projections, California will drop below its $2.5 billion prudent minimum cash balance on March 30 by $1.3 billion. On April 1, the State will be in the red by $197 million, and our resources to pay bills are not expected to return to safe levels until April 21."

Read the full letter here, and there's also a nifty cash flow chart here.

Inglewood Mayor Resigns, Enters Guilty Plea in Misdemeanor Conflict Charge

Inglewood Mayor Roosevelt Dorn resigned on Sunday, and pleaded guilty Monday morning to a misdemeanor stemming from public corruption charges.

Dorn, 74, a former Superior Court judge, was fined $1,000 and placed on two years probation as part of a plea agreement.  As part of the sentence, Dorn is prohibited from holding public office.  According to the LA Times:

"Dorn, a three-term mayor and ordained clergyman, faced embezzlement charges in connection with his borrowing of $500,000 from a city-funded low-interest loan program originally intended to help Inglewood administrators afford to live in the city. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor conflict of interest charge, Davila-Morales said."

KPCC reported that jury selection was set to begin in the trail on Monday.  This kind of news never comes at a good time, but these are particularly rough times in Inglewood, with the Justice Department calling for federal oversight of its Police Department after a series of office involved shootings.  We've not gotten word on who will fill in for Dorn. 

Read more from the LA Times.

California in Worse Credit Shape than Kazakhstan

Borat would be proud. 

We're a little late on this story (it ran in the WSJ earlier this month), but we have to comment on the fact that "It now costs more to insure Californian municipal debt against default than it does bonds issued by the government of Kazakhstan."

Very niiice.  Not.  The story does speak in defense of Calfiornia, and calls out our Governor's favorite gripe -- the fact that "California taxpayers have been subsidizing the rest of America for decades."

Read more here.

Ed Mendel Looks at Independent Big City Pensions

Ed Mendel of CalPensions takes a look at the independent pensions systems in LA, San Francisco and San Diego this week.  Here's a teaser, but the whole piece is well worth a read:

"City council members in Los Angeles and San Diego have mentioned the possibility of “bankruptcy” in remarks to reporters this month, a path taken by the city of Vallejo two years ago when labor costs consumed most of its budget.

Labor unions, agreeing to benefit cuts in some cases, are trying to figure out whether current pension levels are unaffordable and should be reduced, or if city officials are overstating the problem to use the economic downturn as leverage for givebacks."

State Prisoner Release Starts Monday

No, it doesn't mean the gates of Chino and San Quentin are flying open, but the state's plans to reduce its prison population by about 6,500 inmates does get going today.  The program calls for low level and non violent offenders to start earning "points" for education and other good behavior that could get them out a bit earlier. 

The plan is, of course, controversial, as victims advocates and local law enforcement alike are concerned bout the influx of criminals -- nonviolent or not.  Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness said in the SacBee that the result will be increased costs for local jails and courts.

"We're on the verge of a real crisis in criminal justice in California," he said.

Read more here.  Keep in miond, there's still the federal ruling that calls for as many as 40,000 inmates to be released.  Greg Lucas has the rundown on that situation here.

Quote of the Week

From the Nevada files... "If I'm governor, I'll cavort with showgirls and I'll keep drinking my gin and betting on anything that moves."  -- Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, who's eying a run for governor.

Who hasn't made that vow?

Ethics Probe Ensnares Legislative Leaders

The FPPC is looking into unreported (or just under-reported) gifts to state legislators as part of a broader ethics probe, and it seems just about everybody's at least a little bit guilty.  

And no, it doen't affect just Republicans or just Democrats.  According to the LA Times. 

"Those who have been questioned in writing by the state Fair Political Practices Commission about gifts they received include Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles), state Senate Republican leader Dennis Hollingsworth of Murrieta, Senate Republican leader-elect Bob Dutton of Rancho Cucamonga and Assemblyman Martin Garrick of Solano Beach, who was elected this week to become the next Assembly Republican leader.

Others who got written notices that they are being investigated include Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez (D-Shafter), Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Lori Saldana (D-San Diego) and Assembly Majority Whip Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco)."

Yep.  That's just about everybody who's anybody.  Read more here.

El Nino Legit?

Do this weeks statewide thunderstorms mean that El Nino is actually here?  Folks had been doubting the cyclical weather phenomenon would arrive this year and make a dent in the drought we're facing, but meterologists, hydrologists and other 'ologists are venturing that, yes, we may have lucked into an El Nino. 

"People were talking about the no-show El Nino," said Mike Dettinger, a research hydrologist with U.S. Geological Survey in the San Jose Merc. "But when you look back (at the last strong El Nino) it was right around this time of year that it finally kind of broke loose ... and once we get into this mode, it's pretty easy to slip into more of these patterns."

Rain, would of course, be a gigantic blessing to a thirsty state with a suffering agricultural economy.  Would it -- ironically -- diminish the perceived need for a massive water bond in the eyes of drenched voters?  The bond is already on uneasy ground, and if the drought is seen to improve, this could be a legitimate factor come November.  We still think the bond's needed, for the record. 

Read more on the scientists' take on this week's storms here, or on the El Nino phenomenon here.