PubSub results for City Council

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Curbed Los Angeles — 2010-03-10 23:42:35 GMT

The OC Register reports on the latest on the Buena Park housing VS. high-speed rail dilemma: "It may be possible to route a proposed high-speed rail corridor without having to demolish 25 condominiums, but the city's 2-year-old Metrolink station may have to be sacrificed instead, the City Council learned Tuesday night." Unfortunately, the $11 million station just opened in late 2007. [OCR] ...

sewer OR sewage news - Google News

2010-03-11 04:28:42 GMT

OregonLive.com

Mayor finds Bike Plan's $20M kickstand in city sewage
kgw.com
Mayor Sam Adams found $20 million in the sewer and wants to use it as a down-payment on his long-term transportation plan for metro Portland, ...
Portland City Council likes $20 million sewer savings for bikes and green streetsOregonLive.com
Adams says Green Streets funding plan a “double-win” and won't increase sewer ...BikePortland.org (blog)
Contract savings to fund green streets, bike planDaily Journal of Commerce
OregonLive.com -OregonLive.com -kgw.com
all 8 news articles »

NYT > U.S.

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS — 2010-03-11 01:27:00 GMT

A federal judge denied the request of former member of the Detroit City Council to withdraw her guilty plea and sentenced her to more than three years in prison.

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Curbed Los Angeles — 2010-03-11 01:12:25 GMT

To keep film companies filming in LA, the mayor today announced the city has installed fuel cell power nodes for film equipment in the John Ferraro Building and will be installing more in Griffith Park and City Hall. According to the Breeze, City Council committee has recommended dropping fees and letting crews park free in certain places. [Image via Virtual Tourist] [Daily Breeze, previously] ...

Firehouse.com - Firefighting - Rescue - Firefighter Training - EMS Training -Firefighter Jobs - EMS -Rescue - Extrication - HazMat - Paramedic -

cygnus — 2010-03-10 16:33:38 GMT

Authors and source

External author:

BY MIKE BRESNAHAN

Los Angeles Times

Facing a shrinking number of options to close a budget gap that could grow to $600 million in the next fiscal year, the Los Angeles City Council is weighing whether to deactivate 10 rescue ambulances at night.

Council members postponed a decision Tuesday amid confusion about how the proposal would affect response times and after listening to the tearful testimony of a man whose father recently died of a heart attack.

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TRIBUNE

Sentencing Law and Policy

Doug B. — 2010-03-11 00:26:43 GMT

This Detroit News piece, which is headlined "Angry Conyers vows to appeal 37-month prison sentence," suggests a high-profile federal sentencing today a political bribery case includes some interesting in-court action. Here are the highlights: Former Detroit City Councilwoman Monica Conyers...

Radio New Zealand News Headlines

2010-03-10 22:04:57 GMT

An environmental group has been granted an interim High Court injuction while it challenges an Auckland City Council decision about a pohutukawa tree.

KCET Local Blog Feed

Erin Aubry Kaplan — 2010-03-11 00:49:57 GMT

At its council meeting last week, the Compton city council tried as evenly as possible to describe its position on the ongoing fallout from the ghetto-themed party at UC San Diego dubbed the 'Compton Cookout.' It wasn't easy. That ill-fated fete, organized by some of that university's fraternity brothers in 'honor' of Black History Month, exploded into a national story about the enduring potency of racial stereotypes that's taken on a life of its own. Of all the pieces written about the matter, few have explored the state of the city itself, probably because Compton has been shorthand for 'ghetto' for such a long time, it didn't seem all that necessary. Even those most outraged by the modern-day minstrelsy promoted by the cookout didn't really think of Compton the actual place has having a reputation to protect.

It does. Compton has labored in the last decade to turn its image around, and to some degree it's paid off--violent crime is down, retail activity is up, and the city has a spiffy homepage on its website that makes Compton look for all the world like a vacation destination, all blue skies and sandstone. Certain realities haven't changed, of course, but the PR strategy at city hall has been to promote the positive and bury the ghettoism for good. That strategy hit a snag last week when city officials paused to acknowledge the obvious, that the cookout debacle was, among many other things, an affront to those efforts.

Wisely, someone else did the acknowledging for them. The council listened solemnly as Daniel Widener, associate professor of history at UCSD and head of the Black Studies Department there (also my cousin), read an eloquent statement apologizing for the incident and for the ignorance and insensitivity that had led to it. It was fitting that his father (yes, my cousin as well) was in the audience to hear it--Michael Widener, a retired history professor of black studies at Compton College. Mayor Eric Perrodin thanked Widener--father and son--and said he was ready to collaborate with the council on some kind of action to counter this latest round of circumstantial bad press that's not about what anybody in Compton did, but about what Compton is.

But calling attention to what you don't want anyone to think about--that Compton is a low-class place--is tricky.

Councilwoman Barbara Calhoun suggested that the UCSD culprits and other skeptics come down and "see Compton for themselves." I understood the impulse, but it struck me as exactly the wrong response. Compton has no explaining to do. Not this time.

sewer OR sewage news - Google News

2010-03-11 03:39:37 GMT

City will provide free water and sewer to HUB
Peabody Gazette Bulletin
Peabody City Council members heard a recommendation from Peabody Economic Development Council Monday to allow the HUB to receive sewer and ...

The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

The Huffington Post News Editors — 2010-03-11 02:04:28 GMT

DETROIT — A former Detroit city councilwoman was sentenced to more than three years in prison Wednesday for bribery after a federal judge refused to set aside her guilty plea during a stormy court hearing dominated by a dispute over evidence of other payoffs.

As guards cleared the packed courtroom, Monica Conyers yelled that she planned to appeal. The wife of U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., wanted to withdraw her guilty plea, suggesting she was the victim of "badgering" last year when she admitted taking cash to support a Houston company's sludge contract with the city.

But U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn, reviewing a transcript of the June hearing, said Conyers had denied any coercion and voluntarily pleaded guilty to conspiracy.

Conyers, 45, is the biggest catch so far in the FBI's wide-ranging investigation of corruption in Detroit city government. Nine people have pleaded guilty, including two former directors of the downtown convention center, and prosecutors have promised more charges are coming.

"Bribery is a betrayal of trust," Cohn told Conyers after announcing a 37-month prison term for her "egregious" crime. She quit the council after pleading guilty in June.

Conyers' plea deal was limited to taking bribes to support a contract with Synagro worth $47 million a year. But the recent trial of her former aide, Sam Riddle, exposed a series of alleged schemes involving others making payoffs to do business at city hall.

Prosecutors said Riddle and Conyers collected $69,500 by shaking people down and urged Cohn to consider the alleged crimes when sentencing her. Defense lawyer Steve Fishman firmly objected and demanded a separate hearing.

Conyers declared, "I'm not going to jail for something I didn't do."

Cohn had handled the Riddle trial and said he agreed with prosecutors that the evidence was relevant. Considering it in the sentencing would have boosted Conyers' guidelines and given the judge justification to send her to prison for as long as five years. But Cohn changed his mind – and she got a break.

"The sentence will be based solely on conviction," Cohn said.

Earlier this year, jurors at the Riddle trial heard secretly taped phone calls in which he and Conyers discussed money, bank deposits and how to split cash.

In a November 2007 call, Conyers told Riddle, "You'd better get my loot." On another call, businessman Rayford Jackson, who passed bribes to Conyers for her sludge vote, said, "You're my girl. Don't forget that."

Conyers told the judge some taped conversations would exonerate her.

"They have taken tapes and used them out of context," she said of the U.S. attorney's office. "I will take the blame for things I did do."

Fishman asked Cohn to keep Conyers out of prison and urged him to consider factors filed in a sealed document. At one point, Conyers said she had been examined by a mental-health expert at the judge's request.

She wants to appeal but her plea deal with prosecutors prevents her from objecting to a sentence of under five years.

"This case is over," Fishman said outside court.

Before the hearing, Conyers moved around the courtroom like a playful host, blowing kisses to supporters while wearing dark sunglasses. Her husband, who has an office in the federal courthouse, was not in the courtroom. Spokesman Jonathan Godfrey said he didn't know his whereabouts.

___

Associated Press Writer Corey Williams contributed to this report.

PORTLAND NEWS - Google News

2010-03-11 06:24:19 GMT

OregonLive.com

Mayor: Bike Plan is Portland's way forward
kgw.com
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Supporters see the 2030 Bike Plan as smart investing. Opponents see it as another example of Portland budget trickery and ...
Online only: On-the-fly budgeting behind Portland's bike plan doesn't serve ...OregonLive.com
Bike Plan for 2030: City's 'Hiring Freeze' Is MeltingWillamette Week (blog)
Portland City Council likes $20 million sewer savings for bikes and green streetsOregonLive.com
OregonLive.com -kgw.com
all 9 news articles »

Philly.com News

2010-03-10 07:34:51 GMT

An angry and frustrated City Council fired a warning shot at Philadelphia's Board of Ethics by tabling a vote to reconfirm Mayor Nutter's first appointee to the watchdog panel.

Stuff.co.nz - News

By TRACY NEAL — 2010-03-11 00:00:00 GMT

The head of a large construction firm in Nelson has thrown down the gauntlet to the Nelson City Council to come clean on aspects of the Theatre Royal's refurbishment, which he says could never have been re-fitted for $4 million.

Search for "electricity"

2010-03-11 02:08:46 GMT

If an independent assessment into the costs of establishing light rail in Galway comes close to the figures being presented by the GLUAS group, then the city will have a modern light rail system within the next few years.

chron.com Chronicle

2010-03-11 02:50:00 GMT

Mayor Annise Parker raised the possibility of furloughs and layoffs for city employees for the first time Wednesday, saying the city's dire budget outlook will require City Council to consider all available options for closing roughly $110 million in budget gaps during the next two years.

chron.com Top AP Stories

2010-03-11 00:07:00 GMT

seniors OR "senior living" OR "senior citizens" - Google News

2010-03-11 06:52:02 GMT

New York Daily News

New York Council Members Campaign to Save 110 Senior Centers
The Epoch Times
David Paterson proposing to cut state funding for city senior centers, city council members, seniors, and advocates alike launched the Save Our Centers ...
Gov. Paterson suggests $25M cut for senior centers, seniors protest at City HallNew York Daily News
Save our centers, seniors crySILive.com
Seniors Protest Cuts Proposed for Department of AgingWNYC
DNAinfo
all 7 news articles »

The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

The Huffington Post News Editors — 2010-03-11 00:45:08 GMT

Chicago alderman criticized the Obama administration today for dragging its feet on immigration reform.

Alderman Danny Solis (25th) introduced a resolution at today's City Council meeting solidifying the council's commitment to immigration reform, as Solis and others prepare to go to Washington for an immigration-rights march on March 21.

THEROOT.COM

2010-03-10 12:10:00 GMT

By: Dayo Olopade

In 2010, black politics is often written in male faces. Tomorrow, women may be the torchbearers of black political power.

Today’s pantheon of African-American political talent begins with President Barack Obama, who rode into office on the strength of organized communities and an overwhelming black turnout. Add to the shining roster: Cory Booker, Rhodes Scholar and mayor of Newark, N.J.; Adrian Fenty, mayor of Washington, D.C.; Deval Patrick, Obama’s Harvard Law School classmate and current governor of Massachusetts; Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee; even Harold Ford Jr., the ingenue from a Tennessee political dynasty who recently scuttled plans to run for Senate in New York state. Ready to join the lineup: Rep. Kendrick Meek, the presumptive Democratic nominee for senator in Florida; and Artur Davis, the congressman from Montgomery gunning to be the first black governor of Alabama.

All of these young and charismatic men have seen an opening for broader political coalitions and bigger victories in the Obama era. But did the first black president open a space for women as well?

Filling Up the Pipeline

“We’ve got a long way to go,” says Jonathan Parker, political director for Emily’s List, a political action committee that supports pro-choice female candidates. But, he points out, “there were fewer women in Congress [30 years ago] than there are now from California alone.” This year, the Center for American Women in Politics has tracked hundreds of women running for office—with several standout women of color in the hunt.

Four black women are currently running in Alabama for the House seat being vacated by Davis. Emily’s List is supporting Terri Sewell, a Selma native who interviewed congressional pioneer Shirley Chisholm for her Princeton undergraduate thesis titled “Black Women in Politics: Our Time Has Come.” Parker calls Kamala Harris, front-runner for attorney general of California, “a superstar for the future.” Likewise, Robin Kelly is poised to win a seat for state treasurer in Illinois, with key backing from the political class in Chicago. Karen Bass, the first black female speaker in the California assembly, might inherit a seat held by Diane Watson, the retiring congresswoman and CBC member who first asked her to run.

It may seem that women are finally achieving parity in politics. In fact, there are a record 90 women in the 111th Congress—and 18 female senators. But not a single senator is a woman of color, and the body at large is not nearly representative of the women who make up 57 percent of the American electorate.

State and local races, however, are key to building the female political talent of the future. “The reason women in politics have been bottlenecked [is] because there has been less of a movement to draft women at the local level,” says Ayanna Pressley, an African-American woman who recently won a seat on Boston’s city council. “By recruiting on the municipal level, it will not only attract more women, but more diverse women. Because that’s where you find a lot of women of color activists in their community, who don’t even know they have the sharpened skills to run and win.”

Creating a Winning Candidate

Even when a promising woman with a free moment is asked to take a shot at elected office, few have the built-in skill set to win a statewide or even citywide race. Just ask Massachusetts attorney general (and recently failed Senate candidate) Martha Coakley. “If you can’t communicate your message in three minutes and do it in a compelling way, it’s difficult to get elected,” says Andrea Steele, a Democratic activist who founded Emerge America as a way to train women for elected office. “Martha Coakley is the perfect example.”

Nonprofits like Emerge, Emily’s List, the Barbara Lee Family Foundation and the White House Project are trying to change the math on women in politics. At Emerge, women train at local meet-ups one weekend a month, says Steele, to learn, “how to fundraise, how to put together a message … everything from how to hire a consultant to going through the nuts and bolts of governing.” Forty percent of their alumni are women of color, and 41 percent of all trainees eventually run. The Lee Foundation focuses on state houses and governorships—the historically proven route to the presidency. They offer female-oriented campaign advice on how to be “Not Too Tough, Not Too Soft,” or “Who comes First, Your Family or the Public?”

“We have to start making it a priority,” says Steele. “If you don’t have stellar, well-trained candidates, you’re not going to win elections.” To combat this deficiency, “there has been a girls’ network being cultivated for quite some time that is on par with and will rival the old boys' network,” says Pressley. This includes specific programs for women of color like “Run, Sister Run,” provided by the Center for Women in American Politics.

Swimming Against the Tide

Matthew Yglesias of the Center for American Progress has pointed out that black women—comprising 30 percent of the Congressional Black Caucus—are overrepresented as compared to the rest of the Congress which is 17 percent female. But this doesn’t mean women of color are moving up as easily as men. According to statistics from the Gender and Multicultural Leadership Project, black men still outnumber black women at the federal, state and county level—including local school boards—at times at a ratio approaching four to one. Of the 100 largest U.S. cities, only one has an African-American woman mayor. This isn’t a battle of the black sexes, but the status quo seems to sell short black women whom countless studies show are achieving more than black men in college and in professional life.

Generally, the Democrats appear to be more committed than Republicans to growing the talent pool of minority women. Angela McGlowan, a former Fox News contributor, is a black Republican running for a seat in Mississippi—and made her announcement at the recent tea-party convention in Nashville. But there are few other women of color in the GOP pipeline. There are only 18 Republican women of color out of the 1,799 women in state legislatures, versus 330 female Democrats of color.

The imbalance is reflected in Congress, too. “When we see the growth that’s happened in the Senate and House, it’s Democratic women, not Republican women,” says Parker. And under the Democratic tent—as Yglesias points out in a related posting—electing representation “from the relatively small pool of white male progressives means drawing from a shallow talent pool.”

Beyond Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin

The one lesson of the 2008 race that elected Obama may be that women are expanding their credibility and reach with ever larger segments of the population. Though both Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin fell short of their goals, “I think it opened the eyes of a lot of voters and a lot of male voters who might otherwise be predisposed to vote against women candidates for office,” says Parker. “That is going to have an effect for years to come.”

Obama’s win may also signify that racial politics may be less salient for black female candidates in the future. The multiethnic, intergenerational coalitions that Pressley, Maryland Rep. Donna Edwards and former Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin put together may soon become the way forward for black women. Except in several southern regions, the majority-minority districts are turning into pluralities, and gradual demographic integration is putting blacks in action in unexpected places.

Angela Williams, for example, is running to be the first black female in the Colorado state legislature. Embattled New York City Rep. Charlie Rangel represents a “new Harlem” that increasingly filled with Latino, gay and lesbian, and younger black Americans. Even CBC stalwarts Rep. Maxine Waters and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee are experiencing change. Waters’ district recently added new sections of Los Angeles that do not boast large black populations; Lee lost jurisdiction over Houston’s heavily black fifth ward, where Barbara Jordan called home. But new coalitions that are emerging could turn these demographic shifts into a new kind of politics. “The district I ran in for the assembly was not predominantly black. A majority of the voters are actually white and Jewish,” adds Bass. “My God, Obama’s sitting in the White House—we just can’t view things that way anymore.”

Anne Kornblut, a Washington Post reporter whose recent book, Notes From the Cracked Ceiling, examines the role of gender in the 2008 election, believes the year of Obama was actually the start of something big for American women.

“Yes, the women lost,” she says. But “by 2016 or 2020, there will be more. And it would be a shame if, on either side of the aisle, they didn’t look at the mistakes that were made and try to learn from them.”

Read Part 1 and Part 2 of this series. And click through a slide show of women in politics, past and present.

Dayo Olopade is Washington reporter for The Root. Follow her on Twitter.

Become a fan of The Root on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

DCist

Sommer Mathis — 2010-03-10 14:35:26 GMT

Photo by philliefan99

Good morning, Washington. Dark gray skies have returned to our city, promising rain, eventually, but later in the week. Corey Haim of '80s teen fame is dead of an overdose. And outgoing Rep. Eric Massa has admitted to groping a male staffer during a tickle fight in the group house he shared with five aides on Capitol Hill. It just feels like the kind of morning you should get back into bed and hope everything makes more sense tomorrow.

More Trouble for D.C. EMS: Just a few days after news broke that D.C.'s Fire and Emergency Medical Services department was investigating the death of a toddler who had only hours before been evaluated by paramedics, another allegation of misconduct surfaces. This time, as the Washington Post reports, D.C. resident Kimberley Kelsey, 39, says that back in December, EMS personnel refused to transport her to a hospital even though she was having breathing problems. She later called 911 again and was eventually taken to Georgetown University Hospital, where she was admitted to intensive care. The fire department said it is looking into Kelsey's complaint.

Is Vince Gray's Fence Problem Still a Problem? The Washington Times' Jeffrey Anderson seems to think so, as he follows up today on his scoop from several months back. It appears that DDOT is prepared to fine the D.C. Council Chairman as much as $300 a day if he fails to file for a permit for the fence, which has apparently run afoul of city ordinances because of its size. In his story, Anderson suggests that the lingering fence issue is part of the reason why "Gray has been slow to throw his hat in the ring" to run for mayor against Adrian Fenty.

Briefly Noted: 10-month-old baby girl dies despite assistance from Mayor Fenty's security detail ... Smithsonian to receive Harriet Tubman collection ... Killing of D.C. teen linked to suspect's anger over prank ... Columbia Heights stabbing victim ID'd.

This Day in DCist: Last year, local retail employees were on edge after a series of armed robberies targeting smaller stores and boutiques, and the year before that, Amsterdam Falafel in Adams Morgan started accepting Euros.

PortlandOnline

2010-03-10 23:06:00 GMT

BTOP Grant

Search for "lifestyle"

2010-03-11 02:48:43 GMT

Plattsburgh city councilors are aiming to make outdoor public areas more healthy.

The Globe and Mail - National RSS feed

Robert Matas — 2010-03-10 23:08:00 GMT

'I will be damned if we are going to use it just for growing cranberries,' says councillor

AllAfrica News: Latest

2010-03-10 23:43:40 GMT

The Nairobi City Council and Ministry of Local Government cemetery land purchase scandal brings to focus once again, questions about the national commitment to the fight against corruption.

The Province - News

2010-03-10 23:33:54 GMT

Vancouver Coun. Geoff Meggs will be absent from city council for an undetermined period of time as he awaits surgery and then recuperates after a bicycle accident.

West Seattle Blog...

WSB — 2010-03-10 23:37:04 GMT

FIRST NOTE: That photo shows the boarded-up, ramshackle house at 4801 23rd SW (map), on the day that then-North Delridge Neighborhood Council leader Mike Dady led a tour of neighbors, media, and city officials, visiting several neglected-to-say-the-least properties, as a plea for help with the trouble such “problem properties” have caused. 11 months have passed [...]

Chicago Breaking News

2010-03-10 20:24:06 GMT

Mayor Richard Daley today threw his support behind state Rep. Art Turner for the Democratic lieutenant governor nomination vacated by troubled Chicago pawnbroker Scott Lee Cohen.

The mayor said it makes sense to add the veteran lawmaker to the statewide ticket as Gov. Pat Quinn's running mate because Turner came in second place in last month's Democratic primary election.

"Well, like anything else, there's only one winner for the lieutenant governor's position, and that's Turner, Art Turner, he won second," Daley said while talking with reporters after the City Council meeting at City Hall. "If you run for public office and the person drops out before the election or even after the election, the person who was second moves automatically up. If you forfeit a game, you win the game."

Read more on Clout Street.

Falls Church News-Press Online

2010-03-10 23:37:40 GMT

Senior Affordable Housing Project Advances

By a 6-1 vote Monday, the Falls Church City Council gave preliminary approval to providing a $2 million loan and special exceptions permitting the development of a six-story, 66 units senior housing structure, The Wilden, under the auspices of the Falls Church Housing Authority.

Falls Church News-Press Online

2010-03-10 23:47:05 GMT

Stiff Workforce Cut & Reduced Pay Included

Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields unveiled his proposed $64.2 million budget to the Falls Church City Council Monday night, recommending a jump of 20 cents in the real estate tax rate from $1.07 to $1.27 on top of deep cuts in City services. Steep declines in real estate tax assessments and other impacts of the wider recession were pinpointed as the need for the measures.

Flagstaff Today

Administrator — 2010-03-10 20:03:32 GMT

Two candidates running for Flagstaff City Council have been eliminated. Small business owner Dan Frazier and retired school teacher Stephen Knutson are no longer in the running. Both candidates received less than 1,900 votes. This is Knutson’s second unsuccessful attempt to becoming a councilman. He also ran for mayor in 2008, but was eliminated in the primary. So [...]

health insurance news - Google News

2010-03-11 04:00:46 GMT

Scranton Times-Tribune

City health insurance coverage switches to Blue Cross Blue Shield
Laurel Outlook
The Laurel City Council approved the recommendation of the Health Insurance Committee to change insurance carriers from MMIA ...
Health insurance across state lines -- all sunshine and rainbows?Dallas Morning News (blog)
A story from the health-insurance crunch | Philadelphia Inquirer | 03/09/2010Philadelphia Inquirer
My Turn: Separate health care from school districtsBurlingtonFreePress.com
The New Mexico Independent -WFAE.org -Insurance News Net (press release)
all 23 news articles »

GOOGLE NEWS - Google News

2010-03-11 03:11:14 GMT

Telegraph.co.uk

Tell Google to broadband Milwaukee!
Bay View Compass
The City of Milwaukee wants Google to bring its super-fast fiber optic network test project here, and Mayor Tom Barrett and Common Council President Willie ...
KC leaders seek support in bid for Google's ultra-fast Internet connectionKansas City Star
Milwaukee to make play for super-fast Google Web serviceMilwaukee Journal Sentinel
Gaga for Google's fiberThe Independent Weekly
The Business Journal -Wired News -89.7 WUWM - Milwaukee Public Radio
all 196 news articles »

PORTLAND NEWS - Google Blog Search

Janie Har, The Oregonian — 2010-03-10 15:57:00 GMT

PBOTThe cover of the Portland Bike Plan for 2030On Portland's City Council agenda today: How to squeeze $20 million out of the Bureau of Environmental Services for new bike paths. ..... News, Business, Politics, Weather ...

BroadwayWorld.com Featured Content

2010-03-11 02:04:32 GMT

Public Theater Artistic Director Oskar Eustis, Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson and Board Chairman Warren Spector officially launched the GOING PUBLIC Capital Campaign on Tuesday, March 9 at a ceremonial groundbreaking event attended by more than 150 people including, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin, and Board Members Gail Papp, Liev Schreiber and Sam Waterston.

Bolts From The Blue

Jeff (sliderockmpc) — 2010-03-10 04:56:20 GMT

The biggest difficulty facing the San Diego Chargers and their efforts to get a new stadium built has been, more than anything else, the lack of a firm location. You can't seriously discuss financing a new stadium, discuss parking issues, making adjustments to the infrastructure, and holding a public vote, until you know where you're going to put a stadium.

The previous article about Chargers' stadium business took a look back in time at their previous and current home fields. Today, I will be looking at sites around San Diego that have been discussed, some in much greater length than others, and will attempt to provide a few thoughts about why these locations did not work out. I have omitted some proposals, including the 10th Avenue Marine Terminal - because the Port of San Diego is adamantly opposed to such a proposal, as well as a site in Escondido - which is on hold pending the result of a study in downtown San Diego.

Some of these locations were not much more than pipe dreams and speculations, while other locations were killed by political opposition and/or infighting, and a bad economy. More below the jump

Qualcomm Stadium Site.

Beginning in 2003, the Chargers began in earnest to try and place a new stadium at the Qualcomm Site. Per recommendations made by the Citizens Task Force on Chargers Issues Final Report, the plan was for the San Diego to lease the 166 acre Qualcomm site to the Chargers. In exchange for this lease, the Chargers would pay for the costs of a new football stadium, expand riverfront parks along the San Diego River, and retain the rights to commercially develop other portions of the site with commercial, retail, or residential properties (see image below).

It's important also to note that the "Ticket Guarantee" negotiated as part of the Stadium Expansion and Renewed Lease in 1995 had only allowed the city to make net revenue of $4.3 million from the period of 1997-2002 ($35.8 million in rent against $31.5 million lost for guaranteeing "sell-outs:), while paying at least $10 million annually in operational costs and required maintenance. The lease was renegotiated in 2004, getting rid of the "Ticket Guarantee" and pushing the Chargers' "Escape Clause" back to 2007.

This proposal was abandoned by the Chargers in January of 2006, due to financial problems in San Diego, and lukewarm (at best) public and political support. This forced the Chargers to look at other locations.

National City site.

In 2006, the Chargers began negotiating with cities outside San Diego for potential sites. The National City site was at the bottom end of the city, near the Junction of Interstate 5 and State Hwy 54. National City's proposal never really gained any traction, due to a sluggish economy and opposition from the Port of San Diego, which was concerned about the loss of land which could lead to a loss of money and jobs. Furthermore, this location would have required significant infrastructure improvements, including new freeway exits and a realignment of San Diego Trolley tracks. National City backed out in May of 2007.

Oceanside Site.

Oceanside's involvement began in January of 2007. The first location discussed in relation to Oceanside was the old Center City Gold Course, located on Goat Hill above Interstate 5 and Oceanside Blvd. This proposal would have called for the Chargers to purchase additional land nearby, or in other parts of the county to help offset construction costs. One element of the proposal that was attractive was the location's close proximity to the Coaster and Interstate 5, as well as possibly luring more ticket buyers from the Orange County area. Oceanside's proposal fell by the wayside in October 2007, as the Oceanside City Council determined that too much public money would be involved in constructing a stadium.

Chula Vista Sites.

Chula Vista presented the Chargers with 2 attractive options beginning in 2006. The first option was the site above, located in east Chula Vista near the now-completed State Hwy. 125. The primary hurdles for the Chargers at this location involved the lack of access for freeways, and no existing (or planned) Trolley service. Before long the Chargers shifted their efforts west, to a site along the bayfront. Both sites however, received significant study from the Chargers in their Chula Vista Stadium Proposal.

The current site of the South Bay Power Plant became the primary option in Chula Vista. At the time, Chula Vista was also negotiating with a developer (Gaylord Entertainment) to build a convention center immediately north of the Power Plant site. The site would have required infrastructure improvements for access from Interstate 5 as well as a Trolley Station, and also would have waited for the demolition of the Power Plant.

However, more than anything else, what killed this possibility was infighting between members of the Chula Vista City Council. Mayor Cheryl Cox was the prime mover in the development of the convention center, while the prime supporter of the Chargers move was Councilman John McCann. In the end, the Chargers decided that Chula Vista was not in position to get a stadium built, primarily due to the continued presence of the Power Plant, as well as a lack of political will.

Downtown San Diego.

Late in 2009, the Chargers revealed that they have begun discussions with San Diego about a stadium located immediately east of Petco Park. However, due to the limited amount of space available for development (15 acres), the Chargers also announced that they would require a significant public contribution. Among the advantages named in this location, is the ready access for the Trolley, as well as 3 freeways within 5 minutes of the site, which would significantly lower infrastructure costs. Also, because the site is located in "redevelopment zone" there is the possibility that money could be shifted towards a stadium project.

The search for a new stadium, in a nutshell. Next time... What's the matter with Qualcomm Stadium?

Newest articles on The Sacramento Press

Kathleen Haley — 2010-03-10 23:40:43 GMT

Gus Vina, already serving as acting city manager, has been selected to be the interim city manager for the following nine-to-12 months.

City Manager Ray Kerridge resigned last month and will leave his post Friday. Kerridge has said he’s taking a private sector position, but has not yet announced where that position will be.

Mayor Kevin Johnson and several council members held a press conference Wednesday to announce Vina’s new position.

“And I think it’s very clear to all of us that (Kerridge) has very big shoes that we need to fill,” Johnson said. “And we feel that we found the right person to fill his shoes in a very short timeframe.”

Johnson and the council members unanimously chose Vina. They also interviewed Assistant City Managers John Dangberg and Cassandra Jennings.

Johnson explained that the City Council will hold a private meeting Tuesday to formally complete Vina’s new contract. The City Council wanted Vina to serve as interim city manager for nine to 12 months, Johnson said.

Vina previously held one of three assistant city manager positions. He supervised the police, fire, finance, human resources and labor relations departments, among others. He is also a former budget manager for the city.

Vina earned his master’s degree in public administration from the University of San Francisco. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from California State University, Sacramento.

Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy said Vina “is motivated for the city.” She added that he works well with neighborhoods, business and labor.

“We have challenges,” Vina said at the press conference, “but those challenges are opportunities.”

Johnson said that he and the council members were looking for many attributes in an interim city manager including expertise in local government issues, budget matters and labor relations.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Action News - Philadelphia News, Weather, Traffic and Sports for the Delaware and Lehigh Valleys

2010-03-10 23:12:00 GMT

City Council wants to hear what Philadelphians think about the city's five-year-budget plan.

LAist

Zach Behrens — 2010-03-10 23:45:36 GMT

A sharrow in Hermosa Beach | Photo by Ensie via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr

Plans to pilot bicycle sharrows on Los Angeles streets are beginning to solidify, a city bicycle official said today. A working group between the city's Department of Transportation and L.A. County Bicycle Coalition hope to announcee five to ten sharrow locations by the end of the month (a list of possible locations were announced in January).

Paint could be on the ground as early as June, the LACBC announced earlier this month, but LADOT Senior Bicycle Coordinator Michelle Mowery today told a city council transportation panel it could be mid-September. Councilmember Bill Rosendahl asked if sharrows could be installed sooner. "I don't think we can," said Mowery, citing the study process, which includes design, data collection and analysis.

Council President Eric Garcetti introduced a motion for the sharrows pilot in June of 2008.

LibDemBlogs

2010-03-10 15:00:00 GMT

I recently mentioned the excellent Photopolis on-line collection of historical Dundee photographs. With thanks to the City Council's Leisure & Communities Department, here's another fascinating West End one - the old Harris Academy in Park Place, that opened in 1885 but was replaced by the current Perth Road building in the 1930s :

LibDemBlogs

2010-03-10 15:24:00 GMT

* Following residents' complaints about potholes at the junction of Riverside Place and Perth Road, I reported this to the City Council. I have now had feedback as follows : "An order has been raised by the area inspector for the filling of a number of potholes at the Riverside Place/Perth Road junction and this will be done within the next 28 days." * A resident pointed out to me that there is inadequate street signage for Hazel Avenue - signs are missing at the junction with Hazel Drive and there is only one, poor conditioned, one at the junction ...

PORTLAND NEWS - Google News

2010-03-11 02:23:51 GMT

OregonLive.com

Online only: On-the-fly budgeting behind Portland's bike plan doesn't serve ...
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Portland has become the nation's capital for doing the wrong things for the right reasons. Or is that the right things the wrong way? ...
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Contract savings to fund green streets, bike planDaily Journal of Commerce
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OregonLive.com -OregonLive.com
all 6 news articles »

WICHITA KANSAS NEWS - Google News

2010-03-11 05:05:17 GMT

Wichita nixes yard cash deals, requires daily logs
American Metal Market
The City Council of Wichita, Kansas, voted to require scrapyards to pay by check for purchases of more than ...

ELECTRICITY - Google News

2010-03-10 17:06:12 GMT

Kansas City Power and Light to use methane from St. Joseph landfill to produce ...
Trading Markets (press release)
Kansas City Power & Light, sniffing an opportunity to produce renewable energy, plans to make electricity from the methane gas that comes from decomposing ...
St. Joseph Landfill Gases To Provide Electricity For Hundredsfox4kc.com
Council approves methane gas projectSt. Joseph News-Press

all 11 news articles »

News: Main section | guardian.co.uk

2010-03-10 23:14:36 GMT

The IPL, six weeks of razzmatazz and TV with a little sport, is predicted to double last year's takings

It is already big and brash. It is about to get substantially bigger and brasher. At 8pm on Friday, hundreds of millions of people in India, from tea shops in Mumbai slums to plush Delhi suburbs and thousands of villages in between, will sit down to watch the Deccan Chargers play the Kolkata Knight Riders in the opening match of the third season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

"If you thought the first two seasons were the ultimate cricket-meets-entertainment blockbusters then you haven't seen anything yet," enthused the Financial Express newspaper.

The IPL phenomenon cuts across all barriers of class, caste and income. At the exclusive Tollygunge Club in Kolkata – or Calcutta as it is often still known – staff will take a few hours out while members halt their golf, squash and riding. Both clientele and staff (more surreptitiously) will watch the fast and furious 20-over cricket shown on a big screen on the wall of the main bar. "It doesn't matter who wins. It's the game that counts," said Sajad Mundal, the chief steward. For 10-year-old Anvam Najpal, sipping a soft drink that Mundal had just brought him, the tournament has already started. At his exclusive private school, a mini IPL, with just 10 overs played, is already under way. He is a Deccan Chargers fan. His dad however supports the Delhi Daredevils.

"But we will all watch it together," he said. "Mum's not that interested, but she'll watch it with us. I really like seeing all the different people from all over the world playing together in unity."

Not all are attracted by such lofty ideals, however. For Michael Watson, a chef at the Tollygunge, the biggest pull is cheerleaders, cause of much consternation among purists. "The IPL is fun and entertainment," he said. "I just wish I could get a ticket and a day off."

By the time the first ball has been bowled on Friday night, most viewers will already be riveted to their screens. For this year's IPL, the trademark razzmatazz has been cranked up another notch.The Indian cricketing authorities, which run the six-week tournament, have done deals for a huge range of pre-match spectacles.

Colors, a major local Hindi-language general entertainment channel, is filming a reality show called IPL Rockstar, which will see contestants competing in heats held on a 13-metre (40ft) stage in the cricket grounds while the players warm up.

"The aim is to get that Superbowl-style entertainment atmosphere," said Rajesh Kamat, chief executive of Colors.

Other programmes that Colors plans include an "I'm a cricketing celebrity get me out of here" show: 14 cricketers will confront their "worst fear". There will also be an "IPL Nights" featuring "the hippest parties" and "the hottest fashion shows", where viewers will see their "sporting heroes shake a leg or two on a different pitch altogether".

"Bollywood is a passion and cricket a religion," Kamat said. "We are combining the two. But it is the cricketers that interest us, not the cricket."

This season's IPL, whatever its huge popularity, has not been trouble-free. The announcement of two new teams – the eight current sides are financed by mini-conglomerates of film stars and tycoons – had to be postponed after only three bids were received. Then there is a dispute with television networks that has limited the pre-tournament publicity. And there are threats from militants linked to al-Qaida which were deemed almost serious enough for the dozens of top cricketers from around the world to forgo their lucrative fees. (Last year's tournament was played in South Africa because of security fears.)

However, with so much money and excitement at stake, the IPL has massive momentum. After analysing the potential profits from television rights, sponsorship deals, merchandising and gate receipts, Brand Finance, a firm of international consultants, calculated the league's value this season at more than £2.6bn, twice the 2009 figure.

"The juggernaut is on the road and the revenue-making machine is in full blast," said Unni Krishnan, managing director of Brand Finance, although he warned that the league would need to work hard to stay ahead of competitors emerging around the world.

This season also sees an agreement with Google that means games will be webcast live on YouTube, a historic first. There is also a tie-up with cinema owners around India to allow tens of thousands to watch games in multiplexes and local theatres. In the UK, games will be broadcast by ITV.

Senior Indian cricketing officials have warned against too much commercialisation. "It is paramount that a spectator sport should always be treated as a sport first rather than purely a business venture," said Rajeev Shukla, a member of the league's governing council.

Lalit Modi, the IPL's commissioner, is clear about his ambitions ."We hope to become the dominant sporting league in the world," he said.

Outside the Tollygunge Club a row of rickshaw drivers and Kolkata Knight Riders fans wait for fares.

"The IPL is very good," they chorus. "Very good."

Where will they spend tomorrow night? They point across the traffic to a small tea and roti stall on the pavement opposite. There, among the flickering bulbs and a crowd of clients eating a cheap dinner, perched on a shelf and flickering in the gloom, is that most precious of items: a television.

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

San Diego News

2010-03-10 23:02:54 GMT

Mayor says the plan would save money and provide better service. Council not impressed.

WAVE - News

Leonard, Connie — 2010-03-10 13:25:00 GMT

Several Metro Council members are seeking to block a request from LG&E to raise the flat fee for gas delivery and electricity. Council members say at a time when the company is rumored to be for sale, approving a rate increase is a big mistake that would only fatten the utility's pockets.

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless blogs

admin — 2010-03-10 23:19:27 GMT

Sweet Home Chicago drew 300 supporters to City Hall March 10 to make known their presence and their passion for our affordable housing ordinance. We came from nine community groups and three labor unions to rally in support and witness the introduction of an ordinance with 18 aldermanic sponsors.

The ordinance would address the affordable housing and foreclosure crisis in Chicago by setting aside 20% of tax-increment financing (TIF) funds for acquisition, preservation, and development of affordable housing.

It was crowded and hot but we made our voices heard about the need to pass the Sweet Home Chicago ordinance. When it was read into the official record, we cheered and clapped as the chief sponsor, Ald. Walter Burnett (27th), gave a passionate speech. He also worked the council floor to secure additional sponsors. As usual, Ald. Burnett's rock-solid presence and passion for this ordinance was on display!

“If you consider that very little development is going on right now, using TIF to preserve and build housing that is affordable for people in our communities is a smart use of this resource,” said Ald. Burnett.“This ordinance does that and will serve as a neighborhood level stimulus plan to help get our city back on the road to economic recovery.”

At today’s rally, CCH homeless leader Sonovia Petty spoke movingly of her struggle to find a place where she and her two young children can sleep each night.

“I am currently living doubled up with friends. Just the other day, as I pulled up to another friend’s house to stay, my son asked me, ‘Mommy, is this where we are staying tonight?’ I am hurt and ashamed that I cannot provide housing for my children.”

- Eithne McMenamin, Senior Policy Specialist

LA Daily

Dennis Romero — 2010-03-10 05:39:37 GMT

During a Los Angeles City Council debate this week about cutting the city fire department's ambulance service to save money, a council aide collapsed, and one observer stated in an email forwarded...

www.philadelphiaweekly.com Philadelphia Weekly

2010-03-10 02:05:31 GMT

On the weekend of February 19, there were three serious pit bull attacks across Philadelphia. In Olney, a 52-year-old woman nearly lost her left hand to one of the dogs. In Frankford, 10-year-old Philip Sheriff was found facedown on a ballfield, his right arm almost severed. And Christine Staab, a 38-year-old Fishtown woman, was killed when her mother’s dog, Jade, grabbed hold of her neck and wouldn’t let go.

Following the attacks, there was a predictable back-and-forth between advocates of pit bull regulation and those who defended the dogs. The newspapers and airwaves were full of opinion; WHYY’s Radio Times pit the founder of DogsBite.org against an attorney for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Ledy VanKavage, of Utah’s Best Friends Animal Society, told the Daily News that the debate was “all hype, the dangerous dog du jour.” In the same article, Kenneth Phillips, a Beverly Hills lawyer and dog-bite expert, said: “Like many problems we have as a society, the right way to address it is not to go at the instrument that’s doing people harm but the people behind it.”

To lawful owners, pit bulls are not blood-thirsty maulers but playful little scamps. Christy Landry of Gardendale, Ala., told the Birmingham News that “if [her dogs] were small enough, they would be lap dogs.”

Why mention this case? Because Gardendale, like an increasing number of cities throughout the country, recently banned the breed, angering the area’s “pitty” community.

According to the News, Crestwood pit bull owner Melanie Colvin’s dogs “might ‘lick you to death’ but that is about as close to vicious as they get.”

Certainly, the jury is out on the efficacy of such bans. Denver’s 20-year-old ban is widely seen as draconian. The mayor of Sioux City, Iowa, now regrets voting for his city’s ban in 2008.

According to the ASPCA, “There is no evidence that breed-specific laws … make communities safer for people or companion animals.” Yet as Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper told Westword in 2009, “Whether the ban works depends on what side of the argument you’re on.”

PETA, for one, takes this view:

“We … support pit bull bans, as long as they include a grandfather clause allowing all living dogs who are already in good homes and well-cared for to live the remainder of their lives safely and peacefully … PETA supports such laws because they have the potential to prevent an enormous amount of suffering.”

In light of Philadelphia’s recent contribution to this suffering, Mayor Nutter and City Council should consider regulation and study its ramifications.

When confronted with such a prospect, however, law-abiding pit bull owners use an argument familiar to law-abiding handgun owners: Why penalize us for the actions of a malicious few? We love our dogs, we feed them well, we take them to the park. Pebbles is just super with the kids. Why restrict our access to creatures that we’ll treat with warmth and respect?

It’s a sensible argument, usually followed by another: Instead of punishing everybody, simply focus on the lawbreakers. And in insisting that, as the Daily News headline read, “It’s not the dogs, but the people behind them,” the blame shifts toward those who seem quite worthy of it: the thugs in dark hoodies, the Michael Vick contingent. And wasn’t Christine Staab high on something? And, really, what parent would let a 10 year old walk a pit bull?

These arguments, taken in tandem, actually bolster the problem, unintentionally strengthening the cycle of harm and rescue. In vigorously defending their right to own pit bulls, those well-meaning owners—not to mention the ASPCA—unwittingly defend the rights of abusers as well. For city governments such as ours, there’s little to gain in outlawing the family pet, in upsetting our own Christy Landrys. It’s politically easier to cope with the occasional horror and maintain the status quo. So no legislation of any sort materializes—and that same nonlaw applies to the Clark Park Frisbee-tosser as equally as the dogmen in the cellars. The well-intentioned speak out, the politicians move on and the dogfighters place their bets.

My next-door neighbors own a pit bull. The dog is thickly muscled and incredibly quick, but friendly and enthusiastic. He sits when he is told to and generally heeds his master. He’s a pretty good dog. He hasn’t been raised for the ring and isn’t killing “bait cats” in the basement. Yet I feel ill at ease around him. His defenders would say my trepidation is a product of bad PR and hysterical coverage. And perhaps that’s part of it. But there’s also something fundamental at work: an instinctive fear of a powerful animal, a fear not solely reserved for the “dangerous dog du jour.” And whenever I’m sitting on the stoop and I see him trot by, I wonder: Why didn’t they just get a different dog? ■

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