News From Our Partners

Were California counties prepared for flood of inmates under realignment?

Submitted by MCAnderson on Mon, 08/20/2012 - 12:55

By Michael Montgomery, KQED's California Report

Last October, California embarked on an unprecedented overhaul of its criminal justice system, known as realignment. Under court order to ease prison overcrowding, the state shifted responsibility for thousands of felons to local counties. The state also gave money to the counties and broad discretion over how to spend it handling the felons. Inmates convicted of low-level offenses are now serving time in county jails or on probation. Since then, the state inmate population has dropped dramatically. But there's a growing disparity over how realignment is impacting counties, especially county jails.

Read the complete story at KQED's California Report.

 

Under new management: China Camp volunteers take charge

Submitted by MCAnderson on Wed, 08/15/2012 - 12:06

By Christine Sculati, Bay Nature

After six months of fundraising, the nonprofit Friends of China Camp raised $250,000, enough money to take over operations of the cultural and historical landmark along the northwest shores of the San Francisco Bay.

Just one day after assuming the state’s responsibilities, the news broke that the California Department of Parks and Recreation had stashed away $54 million for 12 years at a time when state parks have suffered from severe budget cuts. China Camp State Park was among 70 parks statewide threatened with closure by July 1, 2012.

“We were shocked. We had worked so hard, not just us, but the whole community,” said Steve Deering, a Friends of China Camp leader.

Despite these developments, Friends of China Camp volunteers are pressing on and believe that they can be part of the solution to create a better park system, one built on higher standards of accountability and transparency.

“Those funds would make our lives easier if we don’t have to have bake sales every year to make money,” said Deering. “But (State Parks) is not out of the woods with the $54 million, and it’s up to the legislature to make a decision on the use of the funds.”

Read the complete story at Bay Nature. 

S.F. archdiocese denies crackdown on drag queens at church events

Submitted by MCAnderson on Mon, 08/13/2012 - 12:34

By Laird Harrison, KQED News Fix

When Salvatore Cordileone took over as the Catholic archbishop of San Francisco, academics I interviewed said he might pressure churches that welcome lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people. They noted that he has campaigned actively against same-sex marriage.

That was July 27. Now, reports are surfacing that Most Holy Redeemer, a Catholic church in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood, is falling in line with Cordileone's views -- reports that the archdiocese denies.

According to a report on by the Bay Area Reporter, the church has told the Castro Country Club it can't hold fundraisers on the premises if it continues inviting drag queens as entertainment. The newspaper interviewed Reverend Brian Costello:

"I am the new pastor," Costello added. "There is a new archbishop. The archdiocese told me straight out, 'No drag queens.' "

Read the complete story at KQED News Fix.

California may choose 'trust' over Secure Communities program

Submitted by MCAnderson on Wed, 08/08/2012 - 12:38

By Mariel Waloff, Crosscurrents from KALW News

It’s been a busy season for immigration issues. In June, President Obama announced that he would halt the deportations of undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as minors. A week and a half later, the Supreme Court struck down most of Arizona’s controversial immigration law, SB 1070.

Meanwhile, in California, the TRUST Act, which some are calling the ‘anti-Arizona’ bill, passed in the state Senate and Assembly. In the next month, Governor Jerry Brown will decide whether to sign this legislation into law.

The TRUST act would enable California to opt out of several of the requirements of a controversial federal immigration program called Secure Communities. The federal program, known as S-COMM, asks local law enforcement to run the fingerprints of people they arrest through a federal immigration database. If a person is undocumented, they must report him or her to federal officials.

Read the complete story at Crosscurrents from KALW News 

Scandal spurs plan to keep closer eye on state parks budget

Submitted by MCAnderson on Mon, 08/06/2012 - 12:08

By Katharine Mieszkowski, Bay Citizen

A little-known commission could be empowered to provide more oversight of the California Department of Parks and Recreation after an investigation revealed the department sat on a multimillion-dollar budget surplus for years.

This week, state Sen. Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa, plans to introduce legislation giving the State Park and Recreation Commission new authority.

"The commission is the citizens' oversight committee for the parks," said Evans in a phone interview. “I want to make it a commission that actually has some teeth to it."

While some members of the commission support Evans' plan, another member, Maurice Johannessen, thinks that it has all the authority it needs..

Read the complete story at the Bay Citizen.

City College spends 92 percent of budget on salaries, benefits

Submitted by MCAnderson on Wed, 08/01/2012 - 12:51

By Erica Perez, Bay Citizen


The accreditation commission that has threatened to sanction City College of San Francisco has cited the fact that 92 percent of the college’s spending goes to salaries and benefits as a main factor in its financial problems – and community college district officials attribute the high percentage to a history of generous pay and benefits for employees, including faculty, staff and administrators.


While higher education observers say many community college districts have scaled back benefits for retirees in the last 20 years, City College has not, for the most part.


Read the complete story at Bay Citizen.

Few deportation cases tossed, despite policy to ease courts' backlog

Submitted by MCAnderson on Mon, 07/30/2012 - 12:19

By Shoshana Walter, Bay Citizen 

Enrique Candia lives a quiet life. When he's not working, he takes care of his ailing wife and his three grandkids, and makes sure his son is on track to finish college. Although he has no criminal record, the 56-year-old is facing a court battle that could take him away from his family for years.

In June 2010, federal agents arrested Candia for working in the United States without proper authorization. A Mexican citizen who has lived in the U.S. for nearly 20 years, Candia was sent to an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement detention center.

"It's the first time it ever happened to me," he said during a recent telephone interview. "In that moment, I felt they were really going to deport me."

Read the complete story at Bay Citizen. 

Regional transit panel rejects free Fast Passes for low-income S.F. youth

Submitted by Jerold Chinn on Thu, 07/26/2012 - 11:10

A pilot program to give the city's low-income youth a free Fast Pass to ride Muni will not happen as planned.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission voted 8-7 Wednesday against giving $4 million to help Muni fund a $9 million pilot program.

The commission had been debating for months on whether or not to give the Municipal Transportation Agency money for the program. The 22-month pilot program had the support of  Muni's board of directors, but it was contingent upon getting regional transportation funds.

Commissioners also rejected funding for similar public transportation programs in Santa Clara and Alameda counties.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that some commissioners want a regional program.

Muni spokesman Paul Rose said the agency was disappointed by the vote.

"At this point, we will have to regroup and see where we are without funding from the region. We need to talk to our board and the city to explore any options that are available,” said Rose. 

Pedestrian fatalities in San Francisco on track to surpass last year's

Submitted by MCAnderson on Wed, 07/25/2012 - 12:13

 By Zusha Elinson, Bay Citizen

As San Francisco implements new measures to improve pedestrian safety, the number of pedestrians killed this year is on pace to surpass the death toll from each of the two previous years.

There have been 10 pedestrian fatalities this year, according to the San Francisco Police Department. There were 17 such fatalities last year and 15 in 2010.

Since 2008, San Francisco has averaged 17 pedestrian deaths a year. For the past two years, there have been more than 800 pedestrian collisions a year.

 

Money to help vandalized Valencia St. businesses languishes, unclaimed

Submitted by MCAnderson on Mon, 07/23/2012 - 15:17

By Lisette Mejia, Mission Local

Soon after Valencia Street businesses were vandalized during a protest last spring, donations started rolling in to help with repairs. To date, however, most of the money has not been claimed.

On April 30, a peaceful pre-May Day gathering at Dolores Park turned violent when a small group of protesters started breaking windows on cars and businesses. The Mission police station was paint-bombed.

Two months later, only two businesses have come forward to claim their share of the two funds that were established: one totalling $10,000 from 204 generous donors, the other $25,000 from Wells Fargo.