(San Jose Mercury News) // There are still 1 million votes left to tally in the vote for Proposition 29, the San Jose Mercury News projects a loss for the proposed cigarette tax hike. A vast majority of the votes left uncounted come from districts in the southern part of the state, where there was less support for the initiative to raise the state tax on packs of cigarettes to $1...
(SF Gate) // In other primary news, about one sixth of the state's legislative and congressional elections will pit Democrat vs. Democrat or Republican vs. Republican in the upcoming November election, as a result of the "top-two" primary that was approved in 2010. As expected, the new structure leaves third-party candidates in the dust – none of the 153 November races will include one...
(Inside Bay Area) // In San Jose and San Diego, labor unions took a major hit at the polls on Tuesday, with voters backing ballot initiatives to lower the cost of pensions for public employees. In response, Governor Jerry Brown stated, “people should feel confident that pension reform is next on the agenda”…
(Bay Citizen) // Another government agency is looking for ways to reduce its budget deficit. Muni recently hired 88 part-time drivers to work full-time to fill a need for more drivers. The action cost $1.05 million, but is expected to save $1.8 million in overtime fees…
(SF Gate) // Homeless veterans with federal vouchers to find apartments are having trouble finding places to rent in San Francisco. Rent in the city is at an average $2,663 per month, a record high, and veterans struggle to compete with the young tech-industry newcomers who find it easier to navigate the competitive rental market. Today, Mayor Ed Lee will announce the “100 Days” campaign, a measure that will attempt to help the 50 or so veterans with vouchers a place to live...
(LA Times) // Across the Bay at UC Berkeley, an independent report was released by the campus’ Police Review Board concerning Campus Police’s actions against Occupy protestors on November 9, 2011. Committee members were “disturbed” by the actions of UC Berkeley police actions that resulted in several demonstrators being injured, and expressed concern that the police had not learned from past incidents...
(SF Gate) // A UC Berkeley biologist led the international team behind a new climate change study released today in the journal Nature. Led by Anthony Barnosky, the team found that the earth is reaching a “tipping point” in terms of population growth, extinction of critical plant and animal species, and over=exploitation of energy resources. If it goes on, the team predicts irreversible destruction of the global environment…
(Inside Bay Area) // One way to save water is to curb costs, and the Dublin San Ramon Services District turned to eBay for help with that. The water district was looking to reduce costs for its solid waste harvesting, and was in the market for a new dredge. It saved big when it found the 22,500-pound Mud Cat Auger for sale on eBay for one tenth of what a new one would have cost.
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