Sacramento Finds Small Savings Count Now
SACRAMENTO — Not long ago, it would have been hard to find much outrage in the Capitol over the state shelling out $125,000 to give away teddy bears at the DMV. Or $266,000 for lawmaker lunches and dinners. Or $800,000 to house four sexual predators in the Inland Empire. Not any more. Sacramento is undergoing an attitude adjustment. Read the story here. Today at 4pm, John & Ken will speak to the President of the Performance Institute, Carl DeMio.
Two faces of Mark Geragos—talk show pundit, defense crusader
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (AP) – Mark Geragos was certain the case was solid – Scott Peterson was either guilty of murder, or a complete idiot. In televised interviews before he took over as Peterson’s lead counsel, Geragos described the evidence as overwhelming, and figured Peterson was all but convicted in the deaths of his wife and their unborn son. Read the story here.
DAWN OF THE DEAD
I guess about twenty five years is long enough to wait before you do a remake. I have to admit, the original did gross me out big time, but in a good way. Most of you know the basics – some kind of evil virus has been unleashed that enables the dead to come back to “life” and hunt down the living. They “feed” off the living, cannibalizing them and then moving on to the next poor fellow. The line used in this movie, for moral purposes, is something like, “when hell is full, the dead shall walk the earth”. Hey, works for me.
Forget the cast – you won’t recognize anyone anyway. Well, okay, Ving Rhames and Mekhi Phifer are pretty well known. But, the idea, as it is for most horror films, is to simply gross you out and/or scare you enough so you get that roller coaster feel of “no, no, yes, yes, give me more”.
Most of the time that works fine. Every good horror film has a few scenes that stick with you years later. In the first “Dawn of The Dead “ flick, remember that disembodied arm which was spurting blood as it stuck out of the blood pressure machine at the shopping mall? I thought about that one for weeks – sick and funny at the same time. Guys love that stuff. (more…)
Thursday, March 25th, 2004
Jail Inmates Freed Early to Save Money
To save money, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca is releasing an average of 130 criminals a day from jails after they have served only a fraction of their sentences, a windfall to convicts that police, prosecutors and judges say is undermining the local justice system. Rather than shrink street patrols, Baca said he is trying to counteract multimillion-dollar budget cuts by releasing inmates early — more than 47,500 in the last year. Those freed include robbers, car thieves, stalkers, drunk drivers and abusive spouses. Read the story here.
Kobe accuser tells her sex story
The teenager who accused Kobe Bryant of rape faced him in a courtroom yesterday for the first time since the alleged attack – and had to reveal details of her sex life in a closed-door hearing. Read the story here. The mother of the woman who has accused Kobe Bryant of rape has asked a Colorado judge to quickly move the case to trial, writing that her daughter’s “life is on hold and her safety is in jeopardy” until the NBA star’s prosecution is complete. Read the letter here.
More California Air Space Set for No-Smoke Zones
Those days may be over. At a meeting on Tuesday night, City Council members, citing concerns about health, safety and pollution, gave initial approval to an ordinance that would ban smoking on most of the 95-year-old pier and on all of Santa Monica’s four miles of beaches. It is expected to pass upon a second reading on April 13. With that step, Santa Monica became the third city in California — the others are Solana Beach and San Clemente, both north of San Diego — to push for a ban on smoking on its beaches in recent months. The move to outlaw smoking on the wooden pier itself, except for designated areas, follows a ban in Seal Beach, just south of Los Angeles, after a fire, believed to have been caused by a cigarette, trapped diners at a pier restaurant four years ago. Read the story here.
Save Our State
The Bush Administration has just announced an amnesty for 12 million illegal aliens already in this country and is opening the door to millions more. Our petition, which is downloadable from this site, will give the voters of California a chance to tell the President that we don’t want an amnesty! Our initiative will force the State of California to assist in the enforcement of immigration laws and will prevent public agencies from aiding and abetting illegal immigration, as they currently do. The will of the people, as expressed in their vote for Prop 187, will finally be respected. Find out more here. Tonight, at 6pm, Ron Prince from Save Our State will be in studio to answer all your questions.
Guest Worker Residency Bill Is Taking Root in the Senate
WASHINGTON — Now that President Bush’s immigration reform plan seems dead for this year, a less ambitious proposal to offer about 500,000 undocumented farmworkers legal residency is taking on a life of its own. The so-called AgJobs bill, which also would make it easier for growers to import foreign guest workers, has 55 co-sponsors — including Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) — in the 100-member Senate, its authors said Wednesday. Read the story here.
Wednesday, March 24th, 2004
We have contacted all the Republicans in the State Senate and the State Assembly asking one question- how will you be voting on Senator Gil Cedillo’s Illegal Alien Driver License Bill (SB1160)? After hours of phone calls and playing phone tag, we have compiled a list of Legislators that have answered our question. If you DO NOT see your Senator or Assembly member, then they have replied with a big fat NO to SB1160. For those who have not replied to any phone messages or seem to be on the fence about the issue, we have kindly made available their contact information. We urge you to call them and let them know that SB1160 is wrong for California. (more…)
Customs chief denies link between more immigration arrests and Bush plan
WASHINGTON – The country’s border security chief said that apprehensions of illegal immigrants along the Southwest border have increased steadily since Oct. 1, but he said it wasn’t linked to President Bush’s proposed guest-worker plan. Read the story here.
Continuing the March to Justice
Time flies. But it doesn’t necessarily happen just when you’re having fun. Santa Clarita Valley residents were stunned nearly two years ago when Sheriff’s Deputy David March, a Saugus resident, was gunned down during a not-so-routine traffic stop. The approaching second anniversary will be a day of remembrance and reflection, but also a day of hope and awareness for change in the future. Read the story here. Today at 6pm John & Ken will have the parents of slain Deputy David March in studio.
Tuesday, March 23rd, 2004
Phone tax likely to make it to November ballot
California voters should probably expect to see a new phone tax proposal to help pay for emergency rooms on the ballot this fall. As of last week, supporters had collected 683,000 signatures——more than the 598,105 needed to put the measure on the ballot in November. The Coalition to Preserve Emergency Care continues to collect signatures “to make sure we have enough valid ones to get this before the voters,” said spokeswoman Kelly Hayes-Raitt. Read the story here.
4 more jurors qualify for final screening
REDWOOD CITY - Four prospective jurors in Scott Peterson’s trial qualified this morning for final screening in May, bolstering the judge’s hope to keep the case in San Mateo County. “This morning was not a total loss,” said Judge Alfred Delucchi, perhaps reflecting on Monday’s dismal result when only one of 13 prospective jurors was declared suitable to sit in judgment of the accused double-murderer from Modesto. Read the story here.
Senator McClintock
Senator McClintock will be going to the Senate Education Committee next week a bill to stop Community Colleges and CSU’s from allowing illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition fees (which they can do now). Read the Bill here.
Senator McClintock will be on the John and Ken show today at 5pm. He will also give an update as to the latest on what he is hearing on the Cedillo drivers license bill.
Monday, March 22nd, 2004
Spending goes up in Legislature
As its members sliced spending for programs throughout state government over the past two years, the Legislature’s own budget grew and is slated to rise again in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s budget proposal. Read the story here.
GOP wary of ballot drive on licenses
NEWPORT BEACH - The race is on, the father of Proposition 187 tells members of the Republican women’s club, sounding a clarion call to the party faithful. Orange County accountant Ron Prince is out on the hustings again, promoting a new version of the voter-approved ballot measure that in 1994 targeted public benefits to illegal immigrants and exposed deep fissures in California’s ethnic landscape. Read the story here.
Outsourcing critics cite labor laws in other nations
Labor groups upset about job losses say U.S. companies are hiring workers in foreign countries in part because employment laws are often looser abroad. Read the story here.
Judge qualifies first potential juror
REDWOOD CITY - A judge today qualified the first potential juror brought in for individual questioning in Scott Peterson’s double-murder trial. Read the story here.
