latimes--2020-01-23--State Senate head saved California's most important housing bill, showing what leadership is made of

A big part of effective legislative leadership is knowing when and how to exercise extraordinary power .
The answer is rarely but emphatically .
State Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins ( D-San Diego ) showed a textbook example of how it ’ s done last week when she rescued from certain death the year ’ s most important housing bill .
She reached into the Senate Appropriations Committee , where the legislation had been bottled up by its chairman — Sen. Anthony Portantino ( D-La Cañada Flintridge ) — and extracted the measure herself .
Atkins plopped the bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chairs , for movement to the Senate floor , where it must be passed by Jan. 31 to remain alive .
If the bill passes the Senate , which now seems likely , it will be fought over in the Assembly .
Senate Bill 50 by Sen. Scott Wiener ( D-San Francisco ) would spur high-density housing near transit and where there are lots of jobs .
The goal is to produce much more housing and a lot faster .
But there ’ s strong opposition to the details .
Some version of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because California — as much as this native lover of open spaces hates to admit — must wean itself off our dominant ranch-house culture .
It was wonderful when the state ’ s population was 10 million or even 20 million .
But it ’ s increasingly unaffordable and unsustainable for the middle class as 40 million people crowd one another and we grow to 50 million by mid-century .
Housing needs to grow upward , not sideways .
Still , what Atkins did can not be an everyday tool for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the committee system is considered practically sacrosanct , a vital ingredient of internal checks and balances .
Committee chairs are treated as sovereigns .
They ’ re insulted and embarrassed if a leader quashes their autonomy .
Occasionally when a measure is being strongly pushed by a house leader and is stuck in a committee , the leader will yank the bill ’ s opponents off the committee and replace them with supporters .
But that ’ s very rare .
Even more rare is going around the committee chairman and pulling the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did it once last year when she yanked a “ use of force ” bill out of Portantino ’ s committee .
That measure was prompted by the deaths of young African American men in law enforcement shootings .
The final measure narrowed the circumstances in which officers can legally use deadly force .
Atkins ’ rescue of the bill provided the author , Assemblywoman Shirley Weber ( D-San Diego ) , an opportunity to craft a compromise that law enforcement didn ’ t oppose .
Atkins regarded that successful experience as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill .
She wanted the entire Senate to vote on the measure , not just one committee chairman .
Serious negotiations weren ’ t taking place .
So she seized the controversial legislation .
Atkins issued a statement asserting that SB 50 was needed for “ building more affordable homes that increase access to jobs , reduce the time people have to spend in their cars and help meet California ’ s climate change targets.
” Asked about going around the committee chairman , whom she had appointed , Atkins told me : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seldom , if ever , do .
It ’ s not something I want to do .
But balancing all of the issues , I felt I needed to .
... “ I ’ ve been thinking about this for a long time .
It ’ s one of our most controversial issues .
Some people hate [ the bill ] , some people love it — I get it .
Some people don ’ t even know what it does .
We need to have a critical conversation to figure out how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can afford to live here.
” Wiener amended the bill in hopes of reducing opposition from cities and counties that object to being dictated to by the state on zoning issues .
The changes would give local governments two years to develop their own plans for boosting housing developments before the state mandates took effect .
Portantino called the amendments “ more theater than an implementable plan to truly engender broad support.
” Under the bill , lower-density neighborhoods would be forced to allow four-to-five-story apartment buildings near rail lines , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ near job centers .
Wiener has tried for three years to pass such legislation and has been beaten back each time by local governments .
“ My bill isn ’ t a silver bullet , ” Wiener told me , “ but it ’ s an important part of the solution .
California is short millions of homes .
We rank 49 out of 50 states in homes per capita .
In the last 60 years , our population has almost tripled , but housing production has gone down by two-thirds or more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
Now it ’ s less than 100,000 .
It ’ s stark.
” And the median home price is around $ 600,000 .
“ We ’ re not going to build any more in the state until we can build faster , ” says Dan Dunmoyer , president of the California Building Industry Assn .
“ It ’ s not uncommon for permits to take 15 years .
In the rest of the country it ’ s less than two .
And fees can run up to $ 150,000 per home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes in Arizona and Nevada for a third of the cost.
” Last year , the Legislature and Gov .
Gavin Newsom did enact a bill aimed at speeding up the permitting of new housing developments .
For Wiener ’ s bill to pass , it will need strong leadership from both Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon ( D-Lakewood ) and Newsom .
Atkins has already exercised her clout , fortunately .

State Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) reached into the Senate Appropriations Committee, where Senate Bill 50 had been bottled up by its chairman, and extracted the measure herself, giving it another shot in the committee she chairs.
A big part of effective legislative leadership is knowing when and how to exercise extraordinary power. The answer is rarely but emphatically.
State Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) showed a textbook example of how it’s done last week when she rescued from certain death the year’s most important housing bill.
She reached into the Senate Appropriations Committee, where the legislation had been bottled up by its chairman — Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) — and extracted the measure herself. Atkins plopped the bill into the Rules Committee, which she chairs, for movement to the Senate floor, where it must be passed by Jan. 31 to remain alive.
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If the bill passes the Senate, which now seems likely, it will be fought over in the Assembly.
Senate Bill 50 by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) would spur high-density housing near transit and where there are lots of jobs. The goal is to produce much more housing and a lot faster. But there’s strong opposition to the details.
Some version of SB 50 should be passed, however, because California — as much as this native lover of open spaces hates to admit — must wean itself off our dominant ranch-house culture. It was wonderful when the state’s population was 10 million or even 20 million. But it’s increasingly unaffordable and unsustainable for the middle class as 40 million people crowd one another and we grow to 50 million by mid-century.
Housing needs to grow upward, not sideways.
Still, what Atkins did cannot be an everyday tool for a legislative leader. In a legislature, the committee system is considered practically sacrosanct, a vital ingredient of internal checks and balances. Committee chairs are treated as sovereigns. They’re insulted and embarrassed if a leader quashes their autonomy.
Occasionally when a measure is being strongly pushed by a house leader and is stuck in a committee, the leader will yank the bill’s opponents off the committee and replace them with supporters. But that’s very rare. Even more rare is going around the committee chairman and pulling the bill from his panel.
Atkins also did it once last year when she yanked a “use of force” bill out of Portantino’s committee. That measure was prompted by the deaths of young African American men in law enforcement shootings.
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The final measure narrowed the circumstances in which officers can legally use deadly force. Atkins’ rescue of the bill provided the author, Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego), an opportunity to craft a compromise that law enforcement didn’t oppose.
Atkins regarded that successful experience as a model for how to save the housing bill. She wanted the entire Senate to vote on the measure, not just one committee chairman. Serious negotiations weren’t taking place. So she seized the controversial legislation.
Atkins issued a statement asserting that SB 50 was needed for “building more affordable homes that increase access to jobs, reduce the time people have to spend in their cars and help meet California’s climate change targets.”
Asked about going around the committee chairman, whom she had appointed, Atkins told me: “It’s a thing we seldom, if ever, do. It’s not something I want to do. But balancing all of the issues, I felt I needed to. ...
“I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. It’s one of our most controversial issues. Some people hate [the bill], some people love it — I get it. Some people don’t even know what it does. We need to have a critical conversation to figure out how to lower the cost of housing so we can afford to live here.”
Wiener amended the bill in hopes of reducing opposition from cities and counties that object to being dictated to by the state on zoning issues. The changes would give local governments two years to develop their own plans for boosting housing developments before the state mandates took effect.
Portantino called the amendments “more theater than an implementable plan to truly engender broad support.”
Under the bill, lower-density neighborhoods would be forced to allow four-to-five-story apartment buildings near rail lines, and fourplexes would be permitted in wealthy areas near job centers.
Wiener has tried for three years to pass such legislation and has been beaten back each time by local governments.
“My bill isn’t a silver bullet,” Wiener told me, “but it’s an important part of the solution. California is short millions of homes. We rank 49 out of 50 states in homes per capita. In the last 60 years, our population has almost tripled, but housing production has gone down by two-thirds or more. We were producing 300,000 houses a year. Now it’s less than 100,000. It’s stark.”
And the median home price is around $600,000.
“We’re not going to build any more in the state until we can build faster,” says Dan Dunmoyer, president of the California Building Industry Assn. “It’s not uncommon for permits to take 15 years. In the rest of the country it’s less than two. And fees can run up to $150,000 per home.
“We can build the same homes in Arizona and Nevada for a third of the cost.”
Last year, the Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom did enact a bill aimed at speeding up the permitting of new housing developments.
For Wiener’s bill to pass, it will need strong leadership from both Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) and Newsom. Atkins has already exercised her clout, fortunately.


latimes--2020-01-23--1 killed, 1 critically injured in Long Beach shooting

A man was arrested Wednesday night at a Long Beach home after authorities found two people suffering from gunshot wounds near the residence .
One of the wounded people , a woman , later died at a hospital , and the other , a man , was in critical condition Wednesday night after being shot near the 1600 block of West 19th Street , authorities said .
According to preliminary information , officers on patrol near Santa Fe Avenue and West 19th Street heard gunshots , prompting them to canvass the area .
They soon discovered the two victims , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Shaunna Dandoy , a Long Beach police public information officer .
Both were taken to a hospital by the Long Beach Fire Department , Dandoy said .
Officers set up a perimeter around a home where the suspected shooter was believed to be inside , and the man surrendered to police , Dandoy said .
After the wounded woman died late Wednesday evening , detectives began investigating the incident as a homicide , Dandoy said .
Authorities believe the suspect and victims knew each other , but the motive and events leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation , Dandoy said .
Detectives were still at the home late Wednesday night .
No further details about the victims or the suspect were available .
A woman was also taken into custody at the home , but her involvement in the incident was unclear , Dandoy said .

A man was arrested Wednesday night at a Long Beach home after authorities found two people suffering from gunshot wounds near the residence.
One of the wounded people, a woman, later died at a hospital, and the other, a man, was in critical condition Wednesday night after being shot near the 1600 block of West 19th Street, authorities said.
According to preliminary information, officers on patrol near Santa Fe Avenue and West 19th Street heard gunshots, prompting them to canvass the area.
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They soon discovered the two victims, each wounded in the upper body, said Shaunna Dandoy, a Long Beach police public information officer. Both were taken to a hospital by the Long Beach Fire Department, Dandoy said.
Officers set up a perimeter around a home where the suspected shooter was believed to be inside, and the man surrendered to police, Dandoy said.
After the wounded woman died late Wednesday evening, detectives began investigating the incident as a homicide, Dandoy said.
Authorities believe the suspect and victims knew each other, but the motive and events leading up to the shooting are still under investigation, Dandoy said. Detectives were still at the home late Wednesday night.
No further details about the victims or the suspect were available.
A woman was also taken into custody at the home, but her involvement in the incident was unclear, Dandoy said.


latimes--2020-01-22--Teenage boy killed in knife fight in Bakersfield

A 17-year-old youth was killed in a knife fight that authorities say started as a confrontation at a bus stop outside a high school as students were leaving school for the day .
The Kern County Sheriff ’ s Office responded about 2:40 p.m. Tuesday to a call about multiple people being stabbed in the area of Foothill Road and Morning Drive , near Foothill High School .
The 17-year-old student died at the scene .
Authorities have not released his name , but a family member told the Bakersfield Californian he was Jose Flores .
His aunt , Alma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ a great kid , an awesome kid.
” “ He would make everyone laugh every weekend at our family gatherings , ” Valenzuela said .
`` [ Our family is ] devastated .
We all are.
” Jason Cruz , 23 , was also stabbed and has been booked into the Kern County jail on suspicion of homicide , according to the Sheriff ’ s Office .
A 14-year-old boy was also stabbed and has been booked into the juvenile hall for assault with a deadly weapon , according to the @ @ @ @ @

(Approximate location of a stabbing that left one person dead and three others injured Tuesday. (Los Angeles Times))
A 17-year-old youth was killed in a knife fight that authorities say started as a confrontation at a bus stop outside a high school as students were leaving school for the day.
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office responded about 2:40 p.m. Tuesday to a call about multiple people being stabbed in the area of Foothill Road and Morning Drive, near Foothill High School.
The 17-year-old student died at the scene. Authorities have not released his name, but a family member told the Bakersfield Californian he was Jose Flores.
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His aunt, Alma Valenzuela, told the newspaper that Flores was “a great kid, an awesome kid.”
“He would make everyone laugh every weekend at our family gatherings,” Valenzuela said. “[Our family is] devastated. We all are.”
Jason Cruz, 23, was also stabbed and has been booked into the Kern County jail on suspicion of homicide, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
A 14-year-old boy was also stabbed and has been booked into the juvenile hall for assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The incident remains under investigation.


latimes--2020-01-22--Meet the woman who brings thousands together to count L.A.'s homeless population

The hand-drawn thermometer on the wall had just jumped to 7,100 , assuring everyone in the command center that this year ’ s homeless count would have enough volunteers .
But for Clementina Verjan , in charge of every count since the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority began conducting them in 2005 , that didn ’ t mean all was well .
She knew it would be next to impossible to spread that many people across Los Angeles County in an even manner .
Some locations would have too many volunteers and some would have too few .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skid row , ” she said Tuesday .
So , on the first day of the federally mandated point-in-time count of the homeless population , Verjan was in her office downtown , scanning a computer readout of 163 deployment centers in churches , parks and community centers .
It didn ’ t take long to find a location that needed help .
Only 12 volunteers had signed up to cover Avocado Heights in the center of the San Gabriel Valley .
Seventy were needed .
So about 6:30 , Verjan slipped on her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do what she has done for years — count homeless people .
Verjan , 47 , joined the homeless services agency in 1999 to prepare a grant application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development .
When HUD required homelessness agencies to start documenting the number of people they were serving , she was given the additional role of helping organize what became L.A. ’ s first point-in-time count .
It was 15 years ago when 250 paid workers and 750 volunteers scoured a sample of the county ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consulting firm to design a counting method suitable for the sprawl of Los Angeles .
The method developed then , sending people to visually survey sampled census tracts , remains the foundation for LAHSA ’ s now-annual count .
What ’ s changed over the years is the volunteer force — so large now that it is able to cover every street in the county except for the cities of Pasadena , Glendale and Long Beach , which conduct their own counts .
Each year , more cities , quasi-governmental homeless coalitions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the effort .
For some , the motivation is self-interest : city leaders who complain that the count was too high or too low , and want to make it better .
Verjan now oversees a staff of 14 .
They prepare , in part , by assembling clipboards and maps for more than 2,100 census tracts .
Many have criticized the methodology , which is at best an approximation because it involves a statistical adjustment of inherently subjective observations from lightly trained volunteers .
But it has become a major civic event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a single purpose .
Volunteers , including those who have been homeless , recruit others to join them up to the last minute .
A website allows volunteers to register and pick out the neighborhood they ’ d like to cover .
Verjan believes the experience of people working side by side with neighbors and community leaders has enhanced awareness of the problem of homelessness .
“ If they can share that experience about what it means to do the count , they can have that discussion with individuals who have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looks like , ” she said .
On Tuesday , Verjan arrived at San Angelo Park in Avocado Heights shortly before coordinator Gabriela Gomez began handing out clipboards to a dozen volunteers .
Each clipboard covered a census tract .
With 29 tracts , the volunteers split into teams of two , instead of the recommended three to four , and each had more ground to cover .
Verjan teamed up with Lisa Flores , an administrative assistant with Dunn-Edwards who chose to drive , leaving Verjan as the navigator and counter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tracts , streets seemed logical .
But at night , in an unknown neighborhood , driving in and out of dark cul-de-sacs , under freeways and back and forth on commercial streets , the logic faltered .
Several times , Flores stopped the car to read a destination into her phone and learned she needed to make a U-turn .
In the unincorporated area just east of the San Gabriel River , neighborhoods quickly transitioned from middle class to working class .
Few people were out on the darkened back streets .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beat-up automobiles .
The challenge was deciding which ones were owned by the people who lived in the nearby houses and which ones were being lived in .
Verjan , a veteran at point-in-time counts , made quick decisions on most .
“ Nope , nope , nope , ” she said as Flores moved slowly down each street .
They stopped to discuss several RVs .
Were they old and damaged ?
Were the windows covered on the inside ?
Were they parked where they would attract little attention ?
Each got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flores , the last team in , returned to San Angelo Park about 11:30 p.m. Their numbers weren ’ t high : half a dozen RVs , three individuals and a few shopping carts .
But they had covered every street in their five census tracts .
On Wednesday , the pattern would repeat , somewhere on the Westside .

Clementina Verjan prepares to canvass Hacienda Heights and La Puente on the first night of L.A. County’s annual count of its homeless population.
The hand-drawn thermometer on the wall had just jumped to 7,100, assuring everyone in the command center that this year’s homeless count would have enough volunteers. But for Clementina Verjan, in charge of every count since the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority began conducting them in 2005, that didn’t mean all was well.
She knew it would be next to impossible to spread that many people across Los Angeles County in an even manner. Some locations would have too many volunteers and some would have too few.
“We never have a shortage of volunteers for skid row,” she said Tuesday.
So, on the first day of the federally mandated point-in-time count of the homeless population, Verjan was in her office downtown, scanning a computer readout of 163 deployment centers in churches, parks and community centers. It didn’t take long to find a location that needed help.
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PHOTOS: 2020 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count
Only 12 volunteers had signed up to cover Avocado Heights in the center of the San Gabriel Valley. Seventy were needed. So about 6:30, Verjan slipped on her LAHSA jacket and headed to her car to do what she has done for years — count homeless people.
Verjan, 47, joined the homeless services agency in 1999 to prepare a grant application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. When HUD required homelessness agencies to start documenting the number of people they were serving, she was given the additional role of helping organize what became L.A.’s first point-in-time count.
It was 15 years ago when 250 paid workers and 750 volunteers scoured a sample of the county’s census tracts. Verjan had retained a consulting firm to design a counting method suitable for the sprawl of Los Angeles.
The method developed then, sending people to visually survey sampled census tracts, remains the foundation for LAHSA’s now-annual count.
What’s changed over the years is the volunteer force — so large now that it is able to cover every street in the county except for the cities of Pasadena, Glendale and Long Beach, which conduct their own counts. Each year, more cities, quasi-governmental homeless coalitions, councils of government and church groups join the effort.
For some, the motivation is self-interest: city leaders who complain that the count was too high or too low, and want to make it better.
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Verjan now oversees a staff of 14. They prepare, in part, by assembling clipboards and maps for more than 2,100 census tracts.
Clementina Verjan, left, prepares with volunteer Lisa Flores and team leader Gabriella Gomez for the first night of the homeless population count. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Many have criticized the methodology, which is at best an approximation because it involves a statistical adjustment of inherently subjective observations from lightly trained volunteers. But it has become a major civic event, bringing people across the county together in a single purpose.
Volunteers, including those who have been homeless, recruit others to join them up to the last minute. A website allows volunteers to register and pick out the neighborhood they’d like to cover.
Verjan believes the experience of people working side by side with neighbors and community leaders has enhanced awareness of the problem of homelessness.
“If they can share that experience about what it means to do the count, they can have that discussion with individuals who have a different train of thought about what homelessness looks like,” she said.
On Tuesday, Verjan arrived at San Angelo Park in Avocado Heights shortly before coordinator Gabriela Gomez began handing out clipboards to a dozen volunteers. Each clipboard covered a census tract. With 29 tracts, the volunteers split into teams of two, instead of the recommended three to four, and each had more ground to cover.
Verjan teamed up with Lisa Flores, an administrative assistant with Dunn-Edwards who chose to drive, leaving Verjan as the navigator and counter.
On the maps of their five census tracts, streets seemed logical. But at night, in an unknown neighborhood, driving in and out of dark cul-de-sacs, under freeways and back and forth on commercial streets, the logic faltered.
Several times, Flores stopped the car to read a destination into her phone and learned she needed to make a U-turn.
Clementina Verjan, left, navigates for Lisa Flores as they survey Hacienda Heights and La Puente during the count of L.A.’s homeless population. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
In the unincorporated area just east of the San Gabriel River, neighborhoods quickly transitioned from middle class to working class. Few people were out on the darkened back streets. But there were many RVs and a few beat-up automobiles.
The challenge was deciding which ones were owned by the people who lived in the nearby houses and which ones were being lived in.
Verjan, a veteran at point-in-time counts, made quick decisions on most.
“Nope, nope, nope,” she said as Flores moved slowly down each street. They stopped to discuss several RVs. Were they old and damaged? Were the windows covered on the inside? Were they parked where they would attract little attention?
Each got a thumbs-up or thumbs-down.
Verjan and Flores, the last team in, returned to San Angelo Park about 11:30 p.m. Their numbers weren’t high: half a dozen RVs, three individuals and a few shopping carts. But they had covered every street in their five census tracts.
On Wednesday, the pattern would repeat, somewhere on the Westside.


latimes--2020-01-22--No consensus on UC tuition hike as students protest and regents express mixed views

University of California regents voiced starkly different views Wednesday on a proposed tuition increase for fall 2020 , as consensus on the controversial issue failed to emerge .
During more than two hours of discussion on the first of a two-day meeting in San Francisco , one regent ruled out an increase while others leaned toward one of two plans UC officials have laid out that would raise tuition over five years .
Their debate came one day after Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced he opposed any tuition increase as “ unwarranted , bad for students and inconsistent with our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ includes a $ 217.7 million increase in new permanent funding over last year for the UC system .
Regents had pushed back a vote , initially scheduled for Wednesday , to an unspecified later date because they failed to meet a 10-day public notice requirement to post details on any proposed changes to systemwide tuition and fees .
Regent Sherry Lansing said that voting for a tuition increase after Newsom had spoken out against one and provided such generous funding for UC seemed like a “ slap in the face ” and asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be possible .
“ It just seems to me counterintuitive to move without more dialogue , ” she said .
“ This is one of the most important and difficult decisions we have to make.
” UC officials say that increasing tuition would help raise more money for financial aid and university needs , as well as provide students , families and campus leaders with predictable changes in revenue and costs .
Neediest students would benefit most , since any tuition hike would be more than covered by increased financial aid , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food and other needs .
One plan — to raise tuition and fees for all students annually by the cost of inflation — would amount to a projected 2.8 % increase of $ 348 over last year , to $ 12,918 for fall 2020 .
The second plan would raise tuition and fees once for each incoming class , called cohorts , but keep those costs flat for six years .
Under that plan , the costs for the entering class of 2020-21 would increase over last year by 4.8 % , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California undergraduates .
The tuition of existing students would be frozen at their current levels .
But several regents pressed for alternatives to a tuition increase : lobby Sacramento for more state funding ; increase philanthropy and control UC spending .
One chart presented to regents showed UC costs growing by more than $ 2 billion by 2024 , which took some of them aback .
“ I ’ m concerned spending decisions are made as if money is no object , ” Lt. Gov .
Eleni Kounalakis said .
She said she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state and witnessing what she called an “ affordability crisis.
” But she pledged to lobby for more state funds from legislators and Newsom .
Board Chairman John A. Pérez and Regent Lark Park , however , noted the myriad campus needs including class overcrowding , staff and labor working conditions , enormous pension liabilities , required seismic retrofitting , student hunger and homelessness .
Pérez reminded regents that they approved many of the UC initiatives and programs , including recent collective bargaining agreements that will raise wages .
“ We can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ve made pay for themselves , ” he said .
“ They don ’ t. ” Pérez reiterated his opposition to any broad-based tuition increase on all students but said he would consider the cohort plan to raise costs for incoming classes once and hold flat for six years .
He noted that a UC Santa Barbara plan to guarantee financial aid for low-income students had significantly alleviated student stress and raised academic performance .
But Regent George Kieffer voiced support for a proposal to increase tuition on all students by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steady increases , he said , UC ’ s core budget could be cut by 40 % in a decade .
“ I think our responsibility for the university is to look to a long-term goal , a long-term plan not kicking this forward every year , ” he said .
Students , for their part , spoke out strongly against any increase .
During public comments , several asked regents to consider the negative impact on those who would not benefit from more financial aid .
They include students saddled with high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refuse to chip in for college , students who don ’ t know how to apply for financial aid and out of state students .
“ We as an organization do not support making college more affordable for some students by making it more expensive for others , ” Varsha Sarveshwar , UC Student Assn .
president , said in remarks to the regents .
She and others urged regents to redouble efforts to secure more state funding rather than raise costs on students and families .
The proportion of state funding for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 84 % in 1990 to 42 % this academic year ; tuition now accounts for a greater share .
Tessa Stapp , a second-year UC Berkeley student majoring in political science , said she can ’ t afford any tuition increase because she already is so financially strained that she has to work more than 40 hours a week in three jobs .
She often gets four hours of sleep a night and sometimes falls asleep in class .
She receives about $ 10,000 in annual financial aid and has taken out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t come close to covering the $ 30,000 cost of attendance when living and other expenses are figured in , she said .
Stapp ’ s father , a construction worker , is hard-pressed to help because medical bills have mounted after her mother was diagnosed with cancer and had to quit her job as an aide to special needs children .
He does not support her , she said , because he thinks Berkeley is a “ waste of money ” and had urged her to attend a community college @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The thought of a future student having to work the same amount I work to afford tuition is terrifying , ” she said , her eyes tearing up .
Riya Master , a second-year Berkeley student studying integrative biology , said she is part of the majority of students from outside California who are middle class and have struggled to afford annual tuition increases .
Undergraduate students from other states and countries would pay even more under the tuition plans : In addition to base tuition charged to all students , their supplemental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 30,594 , this fall under the first plan and an additional $ 1,440 , to $ 31,194 , under the second plan .
“ They choose to use nonresidents as scapegoats , ” she said of UC regents .
“ It brings so much pain to me all the time.
” Master , a Virginia resident , could have attended her state school but she and her parents dreamed of a “ brighter future ” at world-renowned Berkeley .
Just as she began two years ago , however , her father lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ straining family finances .
Other students objected to different tuition levels for different classes of students , as the cohort model would do .
“ They ’ re trying to divide students and it will de-centivize them from working together to protest cost increases , ” said Vassilisa Rubtsova , a Berkeley junior studying environmental economics and applied math .

University of California regents voiced starkly different views Wednesday on a proposed tuition increase for fall 2020, as consensus on the controversial issue failed to emerge.
During more than two hours of discussion on the first of a two-day meeting in San Francisco, one regent ruled out an increase while others leaned toward one of two plans UC officials have laid out that would raise tuition over five years.
Their debate came one day after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced he opposed any tuition increase as “unwarranted, bad for students and inconsistent with our college affordability goals.” His 2020-21 budget includes a $217.7 million increase in new permanent funding over last year for the UC system.
Regents had pushed back a vote, initially scheduled for Wednesday, to an unspecified later date because they failed to meet a 10-day public notice requirement to post details on any proposed changes to systemwide tuition and fees.
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Regent Sherry Lansing said that voting for a tuition increase after Newsom had spoken out against one and provided such generous funding for UC seemed like a “slap in the face” and asked regents whether more dialogue with him would be possible.
“It just seems to me counterintuitive to move without more dialogue,” she said. “This is one of the most important and difficult decisions we have to make.”
UC officials say that increasing tuition would help raise more money for financial aid and university needs, as well as provide students, families and campus leaders with predictable changes in revenue and costs. Neediest students would benefit most, since any tuition hike would be more than covered by increased financial aid, which could also be used for housing, food and other needs.
One plan — to raise tuition and fees for all students annually by the cost of inflation — would amount to a projected 2.8% increase of $348 over last year, to $12,918 for fall 2020.
The second plan would raise tuition and fees once for each incoming class, called cohorts, but keep those costs flat for six years. Under that plan, the costs for the entering class of 2020-21 would increase over last year by 4.8%, or $606, to $13,176 for California undergraduates. The tuition of existing students would be frozen at their current levels.
But several regents pressed for alternatives to a tuition increase: lobby Sacramento for more state funding; increase philanthropy and control UC spending. One chart presented to regents showed UC costs growing by more than $2 billion by 2024, which took some of them aback.
“I’m concerned spending decisions are made as if money is no object,” Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis said.
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She said she did not support either plan after traveling the state and witnessing what she called an “affordability crisis.” But she pledged to lobby for more state funds from legislators and Newsom.
Board Chairman John A. Pérez and Regent Lark Park, however, noted the myriad campus needs including class overcrowding, staff and labor working conditions, enormous pension liabilities, required seismic retrofitting, student hunger and homelessness. Pérez reminded regents that they approved many of the UC initiatives and programs, including recent collective bargaining agreements that will raise wages.
“We can’t pretend these rational good decisions we’ve made pay for themselves,” he said. “They don’t.”
Pérez reiterated his opposition to any broad-based tuition increase on all students but said he would consider the cohort plan to raise costs for incoming classes once and hold flat for six years. He noted that a UC Santa Barbara plan to guarantee financial aid for low-income students had significantly alleviated student stress and raised academic performance.
But Regent George Kieffer voiced support for a proposal to increase tuition on all students by the annual cost of inflation. Without steady increases, he said, UC’s core budget could be cut by 40% in a decade.
“I think our responsibility for the university is to look to a long-term goal, a long-term plan not kicking this forward every year,” he said.
Students, for their part, spoke out strongly against any increase. During public comments, several asked regents to consider the negative impact on those who would not benefit from more financial aid. They include students saddled with high medical expenses, LGBTQ students whose parents refuse to chip in for college, students who don’t know how to apply for financial aid and out of state students.
“We as an organization do not support making college more affordable for some students by making it more expensive for others,” Varsha Sarveshwar, UC Student Assn. president, said in remarks to the regents.
She and others urged regents to redouble efforts to secure more state funding rather than raise costs on students and families.
The proportion of state funding for UC’s core budget has plummeted from 84% in 1990 to 42% this academic year; tuition now accounts for a greater share.
Tessa Stapp, a second-year UC Berkeley student majoring in political science, said she can’t afford any tuition increase because she already is so financially strained that she has to work more than 40 hours a week in three jobs. She often gets four hours of sleep a night and sometimes falls asleep in class.
She receives about $10,000 in annual financial aid and has taken out a $5,000 student loan but that doesn’t come close to covering the $30,000 cost of attendance when living and other expenses are figured in, she said.
Stapp’s father, a construction worker, is hard-pressed to help because medical bills have mounted after her mother was diagnosed with cancer and had to quit her job as an aide to special needs children. He does not support her, she said, because he thinks Berkeley is a “waste of money” and had urged her to attend a community college near their Oceanside home instead.
“The thought of a future student having to work the same amount I work to afford tuition is terrifying,” she said, her eyes tearing up.
Riya Master, a second-year Berkeley student studying integrative biology, said she is part of the majority of students from outside California who are middle class and have struggled to afford annual tuition increases. Undergraduate students from other states and countries would pay even more under the tuition plans: In addition to base tuition charged to all students, their supplemental tuition would increase $840, to $30,594, this fall under the first plan and an additional $1,440, to $31,194, under the second plan.
“They choose to use nonresidents as scapegoats,” she said of UC regents. “It brings so much pain to me all the time.”
Master, a Virginia resident, could have attended her state school but she and her parents dreamed of a “brighter future” at world-renowned Berkeley.
Other students objected to different tuition levels for different classes of students, as the cohort model would do.
“They’re trying to divide students and it will de-centivize them from working together to protest cost increases,” said Vassilisa Rubtsova, a Berkeley junior studying environmental economics and applied math.


latimes--2020-01-23--Burning big rig closes northbound 5 Freeway in Castaic

Workers spent Wednesday evening clearing the remnants of a burned semi-truck from the 5 Freeway so that authorities could reopen @ @ @ @ @ .
About 4 p.m. , the California Highway Patrol closed northbound lanes at Lake Hughes @ @ @ @ @ the blaze .
For a brief period , the entire roadway was shutdown as firefighters @ @ @ @ @ under control .
The southbound lanes were closed only briefly , and by 7 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ open .
All lanes are expected to open by 11 p.m .
Firefighters from Angeles @ @ @ @ @ Angeles County Fire Department worked together to extinguish the truck and the quarter-acre brush fire @ @ @ @ @ rig .
The brush fire did not grow quickly and was held to a small @ @ @ @ @ .

The 5 Freeway in Castaic was closed entirely for a period Wednesday as officials worked to clear a burned semi-truck from the road.
Workers spent Wednesday evening clearing the remnants of a burned semi-truck from the 5 Freeway so that authorities could reopen all northbound lanes to traffic.
About 4 p.m., the California Highway Patrol closed northbound lanes at Lake Hughes Road in Castaic because of the blaze. For a brief period, the entire roadway was shutdown as firefighters scrambled to get the fire under control.
The southbound lanes were closed only briefly, and by 7 p.m., two northbound lanes were open. All lanes are expected to open by 11 p.m.
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Firefighters from Angeles National Forest and the Los Angeles County Fire Department worked together to extinguish the truck and the quarter-acre brush fire caused by the burning big rig. The brush fire did not grow quickly and was held to a small patch of grass and brush.


latimes--2020-01-22--City OKs $5.75-million settlement in death of Marine veteran stun-gunned by LAPD

The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved a $ 5.75-million settlement with the parents of a Marine veteran who died after an LAPD officer stunned him six times with a Taser during a Christmas Eve altercation five years ago .
Michael Frederick Mears , 39 , went into cardiac arrest about an hour after he was detained on Dec. 24 , 2014 , and died two days later .
A Los Angeles County coroner ’ s report determined Mears died from ventricular dysrhythmia because of an enlarged heart and noted that cocaine intoxication and police restraint by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was ruled a homicide by the coroner .
A federal jury in November 2017 awarded Mears ’ family $ 5.5 million after finding that officers used excessive and unreasonable force while seeking to restrain him .
“ It is very hard on the family members , all this time waiting for justice .
The trial was ever so tough for them , but when the city appeals and drags it out for two years , it is particularly painful , ” said Brian Dunn , one of the family ’ s attorneys .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eve 2014 reporting that the military veteran was having a paranoid episode and complaining that someone was coming to get him .
An LAPD sergeant and five officers responded to Mears ’ South Los Angeles apartment and tried to physically restrain him before using pepper spray and batons , records show .
During the confrontation , one of the officers — Jonathan Gan — discharged a Taser , striking Mears six times over the course of three minutes , according to court documents .
Law enforcement personnel can use Tasers in two ways @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from several feet away , delivering a sharp shock that freezes a person ’ s muscles and temporarily incapacitates him , or in “ drive-stun mode , ” in which the device is pressed directly against a person ’ s skin and creates pain to gain compliance .
“ The death was ruled a homicide by the coroner because of the electronic restraint procedure , ” Dunn said .
“ The officer with the Taser applied it for 32 seconds at one point.
” The time during which the stun gun was administered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15-second maximum recommended by the Police Executive Research Forum , which advises police departments across the country on policy .
A year after Mears ’ death , the Los Angeles Police Commission deemed the use of force in the encounter within department policy , but it did warrant a tactical debriefing .
The report described a violent struggle in which officers repeatedly tried to restrain Mears , who was described as weighing approximately 305 pounds and covered in blood , acting in a manner that made him unsafe to approach .
Gan said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stun gun for such a long period of time and thought the weapon had an automatic turn-off after five seconds , according to the commission ’ s summary .
Attorneys for the city declined to comment on the settlement Wednesday .
During the jury trial , the city ’ s lawyers argued that Mears was responsible for his own death because of a rage fueled by cocaine and said officers were trying to stop him from harming himself and others .
The deadly encounter is still under review by the district attorney ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In finding that officers used excessive and unreasonable force while restraining Mears , the jury said the Police Department had inadequate training when it came to less-lethal restraint methods .
An investigation by Reuters has examined records of more than 1,000 people who have died in the United States following encounters with police in which Tasers were used either on their own or , more often , as part of a larger use of force .
According to the 2017 investigation , medical examiners cited the Taser as a cause or contributing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 153 cases .
A U.S. Department of Justice-funded study , however , found that 99.75 % of field uses of stun guns resulted in no injuries .
A Times investigation in 2016 found that of the 1,100 times an LAPD officer used his or her Taser , the weapon worked just 53 % of the time .

The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved a $5.75-million settlement with the parents of a Marine veteran who died after an LAPD officer stunned him six times with a Taser during a Christmas Eve altercation five years ago.
Michael Frederick Mears, 39, went into cardiac arrest about an hour after he was detained on Dec. 24, 2014, and died two days later. A Los Angeles County coroner’s report determined Mears died from ventricular dysrhythmia because of an enlarged heart and noted that cocaine intoxication and police restraint by a Taser were contributing factors. His death was ruled a homicide by the coroner.
A federal jury in November 2017 awarded Mears’ family $5.5 million after finding that officers used excessive and unreasonable force while seeking to restrain him.
“It is very hard on the family members, all this time waiting for justice. The trial was ever so tough for them, but when the city appeals and drags it out for two years, it is particularly painful,” said Brian Dunn, one of the family’s attorneys.
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Mears’ roommate called paramedics on Christmas Eve 2014 reporting that the military veteran was having a paranoid episode and complaining that someone was coming to get him. An LAPD sergeant and five officers responded to Mears’ South Los Angeles apartment and tried to physically restrain him before using pepper spray and batons, records show. During the confrontation, one of the officers — Jonathan Gan — discharged a Taser, striking Mears six times over the course of three minutes, according to court documents.
Law enforcement personnel can use Tasers in two ways: either by firing two electrified darts from several feet away, delivering a sharp shock that freezes a person’s muscles and temporarily incapacitates him, or in “drive-stun mode,” in which the device is pressed directly against a person’s skin and creates pain to gain compliance.
“The death was ruled a homicide by the coroner because of the electronic restraint procedure,” Dunn said. “The officer with the Taser applied it for 32 seconds at one point.”
The time during which the stun gun was administered to Mears is more than twice the 15-second maximum recommended by the Police Executive Research Forum, which advises police departments across the country on policy.
A year after Mears’ death, the Los Angeles Police Commission deemed the use of force in the encounter within department policy, but it did warrant a tactical debriefing.
The report described a violent struggle in which officers repeatedly tried to restrain Mears, who was described as weighing approximately 305 pounds and covered in blood, acting in a manner that made him unsafe to approach. Gan said he didn’t recall discharging the stun gun for such a long period of time and thought the weapon had an automatic turn-off after five seconds, according to the commission’s summary.
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Attorneys for the city declined to comment on the settlement Wednesday. During the jury trial, the city’s lawyers argued that Mears was responsible for his own death because of a rage fueled by cocaine and said officers were trying to stop him from harming himself and others.
The deadly encounter is still under review by the district attorney’s office, a spokesman said Wednesday.
In finding that officers used excessive and unreasonable force while restraining Mears, the jury said the Police Department had inadequate training when it came to less-lethal restraint methods.
An investigation by Reuters has examined records of more than 1,000 people who have died in the United States following encounters with police in which Tasers were used either on their own or, more often, as part of a larger use of force. According to the 2017 investigation, medical examiners cited the Taser as a cause or contributing factor in the death in at least 153 cases. A U.S. Department of Justice-funded study, however, found that 99.75% of field uses of stun guns resulted in no injuries.
A Times investigation in 2016 found that of the 1,100 times an LAPD officer used his or her Taser, the weapon worked just 53% of the time.
Times staff writer Emily Alpert Reyes contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-01-22--Gov. Gavin Newsom urges judge to reject PG&E bankruptcy, threatens state takeover again

California Gov .
Gavin Newsom is urging a federal judge to reject Pacific Gas & Electric ’ s blueprint for getting out of bankruptcy and renewing his threat to lead a bid to turn the beleaguered utility into a government-run operation .
In a court filing Wednesday , Newsom ’ s lawyers gave a sternly worded rebuke of PG & E ’ s plan , escalating the intrigue in a year-old bankruptcy case that will determine the fate of the nation ’ s largest utility .
PG & E is trying to dig out of a financial hole created by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stemming from a series of catastrophic wildfires that have been blamed on the San Francisco company .
The Democratic governor ’ s misgivings cast more uncertainty on PG & E ’ s hopes to emerge from bankruptcy by June 30 even as it makes progress on other fronts .
The San Francisco company rid itself of another irritant Wednesday by striking a deal with a group of bondholders that had been pushing a competing reorganization plan that had been opposed by PG & E ’ s management .
The truce requires the bondholders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for PG & E paying them more money than it had originally intended .
The company didn ’ t immediately disclose all the financial details , but said it included raising money through a refinancing that would save its customers about $ 1 billion .
Now Newsom appears to pose PG & E ’ s most formidable stumbling block .
Although he doesn ’ t have the power to block PG & E ’ s preferred route out of bankruptcy , the Democratic governor has tremendous leverage because the company ’ s plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a special insurance fund California created last summer to help insulate utilities from potential wildfire losses in the future .
PG & E needs the approval of its top California regulator , the Public Utilities Commission , whose current president , Marybel Batjer , was appointed to the job by Newsom last summer .
In Wednesday ’ s filing , Newsom asserted that PG & E is trying to pressure the Public Utilities Commission into accepting a ’ sub-optimal plan.
” In a statement , PG & E promised “ additional changes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to engage with the Governor ’ s office to address his concerns.
” Newsom fired his latest salvo on the eve of a scheduled hearing before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali that will cover a wide range of unresolved issues in the complex case .
Newsom told Montali that PG & E ’ s current plan doesn ’ t meet the requirements needed to participate in the state ’ s wildfire fund , echoing a point he first made in a Dec. 13 letter to the company informing management the proposal needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ objection , Newsom expressed frustration that PG & E hasn ’ t budged much since he sent that letter nearly six weeks ago despite further talks with representatives from his office .
“ He is clearly not happy with what has been going on behind closed doors , and he is trying to telegraph that to Judge Montali , ” said University of California Hastings College of the Law professor Jared Ellias , who has been closely following the PG & E case .
Although PG & E has won Montali ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total of $ 25.5 billion to wildfire victims , insurers and government agencies , the company is still working on the financing to cover those deals while also leaving enough money to pay for billions of dollars in improvements needed for its electricity transmission system .
Newsom blasted PG & E ’ s agreement to pay more than $ 1 billion in fees to secure financing that he fears will saddle the company with too much debt and undercut its ability to pay for the badly needed upgrades .
Without those improvements , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ignite even more fires in the future and probably resort to deliberate blackouts inconveniencing hundreds of thousands of customers to reduce the risks during hot , dry and windy conditions that are expected to become more intense amid climate change .
The governor also has demanded that PG & E replace its entire 14-member board of directors , including current CEO Bill Johnson , even though the company already did a major overhaul of that body responsible for overseeing the utility ’ s management .
Newsom didn ’ t provide any details @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a company with a market value that has been fluctuating between $ 5 billion and $ 40 billion in recent years .
The elected leaders in various cities and counties in PG & E ’ s sprawling service area also have expressed support for transforming the utility into a non-profit cooperative owned by the government , but analysts still believe that is unlikely to happen .
Newsom previously rejected PG & E ’ s proposal for pulling itself out of bankruptcy .
In December he said its reorganization plan fell “ woefully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state law and demanded that the company make major changes if it wants to access billions of dollars in a fund to pay wildfire claims .
Days later , PG & E removed a requirement that Newsom sign off on its settlement with wildfire victims , trying to buy more time for its restructuring plan .

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is urging a federal judge to reject Pacific Gas & Electric’s blueprint for getting out of bankruptcy and renewing his threat to lead a bid to turn the beleaguered utility into a government-run operation.
In a court filing Wednesday, Newsom’s lawyers gave a sternly worded rebuke of PG&E’s plan, escalating the intrigue in a year-old bankruptcy case that will determine the fate of the nation’s largest utility. PG&E is trying to dig out of a financial hole created by more than $50 billion in claims stemming from a series of catastrophic wildfires that have been blamed on the San Francisco company.
The Democratic governor’s misgivings cast more uncertainty on PG&E’s hopes to emerge from bankruptcy by June 30 even as it makes progress on other fronts. The San Francisco company rid itself of another irritant Wednesday by striking a deal with a group of bondholders that had been pushing a competing reorganization plan that had been opposed by PG&E’s management.
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The truce requires the bondholders to drop their alternative proposal in exchange for PG&E paying them more money than it had originally intended. The company didn’t immediately disclose all the financial details, but said it included raising money through a refinancing that would save its customers about $1 billion.
Now Newsom appears to pose PG&E’s most formidable stumbling block.
Although he doesn’t have the power to block PG&E’s preferred route out of bankruptcy, the Democratic governor has tremendous leverage because the company’s plan hinges on its ability to draw upon a special insurance fund California created last summer to help insulate utilities from potential wildfire losses in the future. PG&E needs the approval of its top California regulator, the Public Utilities Commission, whose current president, Marybel Batjer, was appointed to the job by Newsom last summer.
In Wednesday’s filing, Newsom asserted that PG&E is trying to pressure the Public Utilities Commission into accepting a ’sub-optimal plan.”
In a statement, PG&E promised “additional changes to the plan are forthcoming. We will continue to engage with the Governor’s office to address his concerns.”
Newsom fired his latest salvo on the eve of a scheduled hearing before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali that will cover a wide range of unresolved issues in the complex case.
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Newsom told Montali that PG&E’s current plan doesn’t meet the requirements needed to participate in the state’s wildfire fund, echoing a point he first made in a Dec. 13 letter to the company informing management the proposal needed a dramatic overhaul.
In his latest objection, Newsom expressed frustration that PG&E hasn’t budged much since he sent that letter nearly six weeks ago despite further talks with representatives from his office. “He is clearly not happy with what has been going on behind closed doors, and he is trying to telegraph that to Judge Montali,” said University of California Hastings College of the Law professor Jared Ellias, who has been closely following the PG&E case.
Although PG&E has won Montali’s approval of settlements that will pay a total of $25.5 billion to wildfire victims, insurers and government agencies, the company is still working on the financing to cover those deals while also leaving enough money to pay for billions of dollars in improvements needed for its electricity transmission system.
Newsom blasted PG&E’s agreement to pay more than $1 billion in fees to secure financing that he fears will saddle the company with too much debt and undercut its ability to pay for the badly needed upgrades. Without those improvements, PG&E would be more likely to ignite even more fires in the future and probably resort to deliberate blackouts inconveniencing hundreds of thousands of customers to reduce the risks during hot, dry and windy conditions that are expected to become more intense amid climate change.
The governor also has demanded that PG&E replace its entire 14-member board of directors, including current CEO Bill Johnson, even though the company already did a major overhaul of that body responsible for overseeing the utility’s management.
Newsom didn’t provide any details about how California might finance a takeover of a company with a market value that has been fluctuating between $5 billion and $40 billion in recent years. The elected leaders in various cities and counties in PG&E’s sprawling service area also have expressed support for transforming the utility into a non-profit cooperative owned by the government, but analysts still believe that is unlikely to happen.
Newsom previously rejected PG&E’s proposal for pulling itself out of bankruptcy. In December he said its reorganization plan fell “woefully short” of safety requirements set under state law and demanded that the company make major changes if it wants to access billions of dollars in a fund to pay wildfire claims.
Days later, PG&E removed a requirement that Newsom sign off on its settlement with wildfire victims, trying to buy more time for its restructuring plan.


latimes--2020-01-22--Water supply line break forces Woodland Hills hospital to temporarily shut down

A water supply line break has forced a Los Angeles hospital to temporarily shut down .
Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills Medical Center announced the full closure after the timeline for restoring water extended to Saturday .
The line broke last weekend when water was turned back on after planned repairs , but the 274-bed hospital in the western San Fernando Valley had initially continued to offer some services .
A temporary water line was installed , but the facility was unable to return to normal operations , the hospital said in a statement .
Officials said that when the extent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care appointments and surgeries were canceled and efforts were made to reschedule them at other locations .
Urgent care services and the emergency department were shut down Tuesday night , and all patients were to be discharged or transferred to other hospitals by the end of the day Wednesday .
Outpatient services were also being closed .
“ Once Kaiser Permanente completes all required testing of the temporary water line and it has been deemed safe , we will reopen services and resume care at our Woodland Hills Medical Center campus , ” @ @ @ @

A sign alerts people arriving at the Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills Medical Center that the emergency department is temporarily closed. In addition to the emergency department closure, the urgent care services, hospital and outpatient services at the medical center are also temporarily closed because of a water line failure.
A water supply line break has forced a Los Angeles hospital to temporarily shut down.
Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills Medical Center announced the full closure after the timeline for restoring water extended to Saturday.
The line broke last weekend when water was turned back on after planned repairs, but the 274-bed hospital in the western San Fernando Valley had initially continued to offer some services.
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A temporary water line was installed, but the facility was unable to return to normal operations, the hospital said in a statement.
Officials said that when the extent of the problem became apparent, primary care appointments and surgeries were canceled and efforts were made to reschedule them at other locations.
Urgent care services and the emergency department were shut down Tuesday night, and all patients were to be discharged or transferred to other hospitals by the end of the day Wednesday. Outpatient services were also being closed.
“Once Kaiser Permanente completes all required testing of the temporary water line and it has been deemed safe, we will reopen services and resume care at our Woodland Hills Medical Center campus,” the hospital said.


latimes--2020-01-22--Four killed in fiery plane crash at Corona airport

Four people were killed Wednesday when a small plane crashed at the Corona Municipal Airport , authorities said .
Corona police and firefighters responded shortly after noon to the scene , where they found a plane on fire in nearby brush , the Corona Police Department said in a tweet .
Firefighters extinguished the blaze , which spread to a small grassy area .
Officials said the plane had a full tank of 80 gallons of fuel upon takeoff .
The crash occurred on the east side of the airport , which is now closed to flights .
Photos posted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearby .
A man who said he witnessed the crash described to OnScene.TV what appeared to be a problematic takeoff .
The plane initially lifted off the ground , he said , but didn ’ t gain altitude .
The plane bounced back onto the runway before the pilot attempted another takeoff .
“ He went ahead and gunned the motor , gained some more airspeed and took off again .
But the wingtips were going from one side to the other and the nose was pitched up , ” the man said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he landed.
” The man described the four occupants of the plane as two women and two men .
Dorothe Voll , a licensed pilot who lives in Corona , described a similar scene .
She said the pilot tried roughly three times to take off but got only two to three feet off the ground .
“ He didn ’ t have enough speed to lift off , ” she said .
“ He didn ’ t pull back.
” Voll said the plane flipped before it crashed .
Those in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some with fire extinguishers in hand in an attempt to put out the fire that erupted .
Federal Aviation Administration representative Ian Gregor said the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash , which destroyed the aircraft .
No other details were available .

A small plane crashed shortly after noon Wednesday at the Corona Municipal Airport, killing all four people on board, authorities said.
Four people were killed Wednesday when a small plane crashed at the Corona Municipal Airport, authorities said.
Corona police and firefighters responded shortly after noon to the scene, where they found a plane on fire in nearby brush, the Corona Police Department said in a tweet. Firefighters extinguished the blaze, which spread to a small grassy area. Officials said the plane had a full tank of 80 gallons of fuel upon takeoff.
The crash occurred on the east side of the airport, which is now closed to flights. Photos posted on social media showed several planes parked nearby.
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A man who said he witnessed the crash described to OnScene.TV what appeared to be a problematic takeoff. The plane initially lifted off the ground, he said, but didn’t gain altitude. The plane bounced back onto the runway before the pilot attempted another takeoff.
“He went ahead and gunned the motor, gained some more airspeed and took off again. But the wingtips were going from one side to the other and the nose was pitched up,” the man said. “He flew into right where he landed.”
The man described the four occupants of the plane as two women and two men.
Dorothe Voll, a licensed pilot who lives in Corona, described a similar scene. She said the pilot tried roughly three times to take off but got only two to three feet off the ground.
“He didn’t have enough speed to lift off,” she said. “He didn’t pull back.”
Voll said the plane flipped before it crashed. Those in the hangar ran toward the crash site, some with fire extinguishers in hand in an attempt to put out the fire that erupted.
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Federal Aviation Administration representative Ian Gregor said the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash, which destroyed the aircraft.
No other details were available.
Special correspondent Jerry Soifer contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-01-22--Fatal crash in which teens were allegedly forced off road may have begun with a prank

A Corona man is facing murder charges after officials say he intentionally rammed his car into another vehicle , killing three teens and injuring three others in a Riverside County crash , authorities said .
The California Highway Patrol ’ s Riverside station responded at 10:23 p.m. Sunday to a fatal crash on Temescal Canyon Road , north of Trilogy Parkway .
A 2002 Toyota Prius carrying six teenagers went off the road and slammed into a tree , authorities said .
Jacob Ivascu , 16 , of Riverside died at the scene .
Drake Ruiz and Daniel Hawkins , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after being transported to a hospital , according to the Riverside County coroner .
Firefighters freed three other teens trapped in the car , including the driver , all of whom were taken to a hospital with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening , according to a CHP news release .
Authorities initially thought the crash was a hit-and-run accident , but witness statements , evidence and further investigation led authorities to determine Anurag Chandra , 42 , of Corona purposely drove his 2019 Infinity Q50 into the Prius , forcing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fled the scene to his home , where he was followed by a witness who alerted authorities .
The following morning , officials arrested Chandra without incident on Mojeska Summit Road , about half a mile from the crash site , according to a news release .
“ It was an intentional act , ” CHP Lt. David Yokley said at a news conference , although he did not disclose a motive .
“ Our investigation led us to believe Mr. Chandra intentionally rammed the Prius , causing the driver to lose control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a hit-run collision to homicide , ” he said .
Chandra was booked on suspicion of murder with malice and assault with a deadly weapon .
He is being held at the Robert Presley Detention Center with no bail and is scheduled to appear in court Thursday , jail records show .
Debbie Ruiz , Drake ’ s mother , told KTLA-TV Channel 5 that the boys were on their way to a sleepover to celebrate one of their birthdays .
The teens stopped along the way to play a “ ding-dong-ditch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly driving away — at a home where they thought another teen lived , “ but it turned out to be that angry man.
” After they rang the doorbell and left , the mother said , Chandra chased them .
“ They even made a U-turn , tried to get away and [ he ] just rammed him I don ’ t know how many times .
He tried to run them off the road , ” she said .
CHP spokesman Juan Quintero said Wednesday the agency is aware of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ profile created for Drake Ruiz described him as a “ loving son , a kind brother and was loved by everyone who knew him .
He was genuinely a great kid.
” Drake was a Centennial High School football player and a member of New Beginnings Community Church in Norco , according to the website .
The profile , which was created to help collect money for his funeral , had raised $ 23,985 of its $ 25,000 goal as of Wednesday morning .
Anyone with information about the crash can call the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 951 ) 637-8000 .
The Associated Press contributed to this report .

A Corona man is facing murder charges after he allegedly rammed his car into a Prius carrying six passengers, three of whom were killed, authorities said.
A Corona man is facing murder charges after officials say he intentionally rammed his car into another vehicle, killing three teens and injuring three others in a Riverside County crash, authorities said.
The California Highway Patrol’s Riverside station responded at 10:23 p.m. Sunday to a fatal crash on Temescal Canyon Road, north of Trilogy Parkway. A 2002 Toyota Prius carrying six teenagers went off the road and slammed into a tree, authorities said.
Jacob Ivascu, 16, of Riverside died at the scene. Drake Ruiz and Daniel Hawkins, both 16 and from Corona, died after being transported to a hospital, according to the Riverside County coroner. Firefighters freed three other teens trapped in the car, including the driver, all of whom were taken to a hospital with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening, according to a CHP news release.
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Authorities initially thought the crash was a hit-and-run accident, but witness statements, evidence and further investigation led authorities to determine Anurag Chandra, 42, of Corona purposely drove his 2019 Infinity Q50 into the Prius, forcing it off the road.
Chandra allegedly fled the scene to his home, where he was followed by a witness who alerted authorities. The following morning, officials arrested Chandra without incident on Mojeska Summit Road, about half a mile from the crash site, according to a news release.
“It was an intentional act,” CHP Lt. David Yokley said at a news conference, although he did not disclose a motive. “Our investigation led us to believe Mr. Chandra intentionally rammed the Prius, causing the driver to lose control.
“The investigation has now changed from a hit-run collision to homicide,” he said.
Chandra was booked on suspicion of murder with malice and assault with a deadly weapon. He is being held at the Robert Presley Detention Center with no bail and is scheduled to appear in court Thursday, jail records show.
Debbie Ruiz, Drake’s mother, told KTLA-TV Channel 5 that the boys were on their way to a sleepover to celebrate one of their birthdays. The teens stopped along the way to play a “ding-dong-ditch” prank — ringing a doorbell and quickly driving away — at a home where they thought another teen lived, “but it turned out to be that angry man.”
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After they rang the doorbell and left, the mother said, Chandra chased them.
“They even made a U-turn, tried to get away and [he] just rammed him I don’t know how many times. He tried to run them off the road,” she said.
CHP spokesman Juan Quintero said Wednesday the agency is aware of the prank and is investigating.
A GoFundMe profile created for Drake Ruiz described him as a “loving son, a kind brother and was loved by everyone who knew him. He was genuinely a great kid.” Drake was a Centennial High School football player and a member of New Beginnings Community Church in Norco, according to the website.
The profile, which was created to help collect money for his funeral, had raised $23,985 of its $25,000 goal as of Wednesday morning.
Anyone with information about the crash can call the CHP’s Accident Investigation Unit at (951) 637-8000.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-01-22--MLB commissioner responds to Dodgers World Series resolution from L.A. City Council

The commissioner of Major League Baseball politely but logically rebuked the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday , saying the league is not interested in the council ’ s resolution calling for the Dodgers to be awarded the World Series championship trophies for 2017 and 2018 .
“ I think there ’ s a long tradition in baseball of not trying to change what happened , ” Rob Manfred said on Fox Business .
The Dodgers lost to the Houston Astros in the 2017 World Series and to the Boston Red Sox in 2018 .
On Tuesday , the council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ void those titles and award them to the Dodgers .
The league has concluded the Astros illegally used technology to steal signs in 2017 and is investigating similar allegations against the Red Sox .
Manfred said there were “ a couple of problems ” with the resolution .
“ We haven ’ t concluded our investigation with the Red Sox , so it ’ s a little hard to take the trophy away from somebody who hasn ’ t yet been found to do something wrong , ” he said .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that is going to be .
“ The second flaw is , whatever the impact of the sign-stealing was , it could have changed who was in the World Series .
It ’ s absolutely unclear that the Dodgers would have been World Series champion .
I think there ’ s a long tradition in baseball of not trying to change what happened .
I think the answer from our perspective is to be transparent about what the investigation showed and let our fans make their own decision about what happened.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civic support for the resolution .
Councilman Gil Cedillo , one of its sponsors , previously told The Times that he introduced the resolution on his own initiative , not at the request of the Dodgers or his constituents .
When the council discussed the issue Tuesday , councilman and co-sponsor Paul Koretz framed the issue as part of a larger crisis of cheating in American culture and politics .
“ The country should be better than this , ” Koretz said .
“ The national pastime should be better than this .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of the public spoke about the resolution , one excoriating the council for spending time on baseball amid the city ’ s crisis of homelessness , the other essentially saying he had no problem with a symbolic resolution but no great love for it either .
Among the council members themselves , only one who did not sponsor it even discussed it .
Bob Blumenfield said he would vote for the resolution to support his colleagues , but he objected to the notion that the Dodgers should win a championship anywhere but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s go , Dodgers , ” he said .
One of the players on the 2018 Dodgers , David Freese , said he wanted no part of a title awarded retroactively .
“ Take the ring away ?
Maybe that ’ s the right thing to do .
Maybe not , ” Freese tweeted .
“ Who knows .
“ Giving the title to the runner-up tho ... that definitely ain ’ t it .
Who would want it that way anyways .
”

The commissioner of Major League Baseball politely but logically rebuked the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday, saying the league is not interested in the council’s resolution calling for the Dodgers to be awarded the World Series championship trophies for 2017 and 2018.
“I think there’s a long tradition in baseball of not trying to change what happened,” Rob Manfred said on Fox Business.
The Dodgers lost to the Houston Astros in the 2017 World Series and to the Boston Red Sox in 2018. On Tuesday, the council unanimously approved a resolution asking MLB to void those titles and award them to the Dodgers. The league has concluded the Astros illegally used technology to steal signs in 2017 and is investigating similar allegations against the Red Sox.
Manfred said there were “a couple of problems” with the resolution.
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“We haven’t concluded our investigation with the Red Sox, so it’s a little hard to take the trophy away from somebody who hasn’t yet been found to do something wrong,” he said. “We don’t know what the outcome of that is going to be.
“The second flaw is, whatever the impact of the sign-stealing was, it could have changed who was in the World Series. It’s absolutely unclear that the Dodgers would have been World Series champion. I think there’s a long tradition in baseball of not trying to change what happened. I think the answer from our perspective is to be transparent about what the investigation showed and let our fans make their own decision about what happened.”
There has been no popular groundswell of civic support for the resolution. Councilman Gil Cedillo, one of its sponsors, previously told The Times that he introduced the resolution on his own initiative, not at the request of the Dodgers or his constituents.
When the council discussed the issue Tuesday, councilman and co-sponsor Paul Koretz framed the issue as part of a larger crisis of cheating in American culture and politics.
“The country should be better than this,” Koretz said. “The national pastime should be better than this. There should be consequences.”
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Only two members of the public spoke about the resolution, one excoriating the council for spending time on baseball amid the city’s crisis of homelessness, the other essentially saying he had no problem with a symbolic resolution but no great love for it either.
Among the council members themselves, only one who did not sponsor it even discussed it. Bob Blumenfield said he would vote for the resolution to support his colleagues, but he objected to the notion that the Dodgers should win a championship anywhere but on the field.
“Let’s go, Dodgers,” he said.
One of the players on the 2018 Dodgers, David Freese, said he wanted no part of a title awarded retroactively.
“Take the ring away? Maybe that’s the right thing to do. Maybe not,” Freese tweeted. “Who knows.
“Giving the title to the runner-up tho... that definitely ain’t it. Who would want it that way anyways.”


latimes--2020-01-22--Skateboarder says man grabbed her at O.C. park, dragged her into bushes

Authorities on Wednesday were continuing to search for a man suspected of attacking a 22-year-old woman while she was skateboarding in Aliso Viejo this week .
The woman told Orange County sheriff ’ s deputies that she was skateboarding at Woodfield Park in Aliso Viejo about 6 p.m. Monday when a man she did not know tried to talk to her and then unexpectedly attacked her , said Carrie Braun , a spokeswoman for the Orange County Sheriff ’ s Department .
The man threw the woman to the ground and dragged her into nearby bushes before running off , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she screamed and fought back during the encounter .
The attacker is described as a man in his 40s , 6 feet tall , with dark hair and a medium build .
He was last seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and shorts .
Authorities on Tuesday released a sketch of the man in an effort to identify him .
Anyone with information is asked to call the Special Victims Detail at ( 714 ) 647-7419 .
Anonymous tips can be directed to Orange County Crime Stoppers at ( 855 ) 847-6227 .

Authorities on Wednesday were continuing to search for a man suspected of attacking a 22-year-old woman while she was skateboarding in Aliso Viejo this week.
The woman told Orange County sheriff’s deputies that she was skateboarding at Woodfield Park in Aliso Viejo about 6 p.m. Monday when a man she did not know tried to talk to her and then unexpectedly attacked her, said Carrie Braun, a spokeswoman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
The man threw the woman to the ground and dragged her into nearby bushes before running off, Braun said. The woman told authorities she screamed and fought back during the encounter.
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The attacker is described as a man in his 40s, 6 feet tall, with dark hair and a medium build. He was last seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and shorts. Authorities on Tuesday released a sketch of the man in an effort to identify him.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Special Victims Detail at (714) 647-7419. Anonymous tips can be directed to Orange County Crime Stoppers at (855) 847-6227.


latimes--2020-01-22--Column: You thought the Dodgers lost the 2017 and 2018 World Series? Not according to the L.A. City

Column: You thought the Dodgers lost the 2017 and 2018 World Series? Not according to the L.A. City Council

Remember those two heartbreaking World Series losses in 2017 and 2018 to the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox ?
Of course you do , but finally , just before spring training sets everyone up for another year of disappointment , there ’ s good news .
You can stop crying in your $ 16 Dodgers beer , because we won both championships .
Or so the Los Angeles City Council says .
By a unanimous tally , the council voted Tuesday to request that both championships be awarded to the Dodgers because their opponents were stealing signs .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Maybe the council can convince somebody that I was cheated out of the Nobel Peace Prize .
Come on , folks .
Is this what we ’ re reduced to ?
A frivolous , meaningless declaration filled with whereases and therefores to pretend our boys in blue were winners ?
“ WHEREAS…the Astros put a camera in center field , stole the catcher ’ s signals to the opposing pitcher and then conveyed the signs to the batter by banging on a garbage can or sending texts ” blah blah blah blah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that this poses a test of character for local Dodgers die-hards , who have a lot to consider .
Can a self-respecting fan feel good about the prospect of a second-hand trophy ?
Come on , people .
Even the guy in the TV car commercial , who gets his sister ’ s hand-me-down station wagon , has enough pride to say no way .
And if all it would have taken to win the crown was a clever bit of larceny , can Dodgers fans actually say they wouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Astros ?
I mean , the Astros ’ transgressions didn ’ t really cost them that much .
They were fined a mere $ 5 million for their sins , they sacrificed a few draft picks and their manager and general manager got sacked .
That ’ s a bargain , right ?
The Dodgers pocketed more than $ 8 billion for a TV rights deal that meant millions of Southern Californians could no longer get the games on TV .
The team could easily handle a $ 5 million fine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winning a title .
On the moral relativity scale , whose heart is darker ?
The Astros bosses who figured out how to cheat better than the other cheaters , or the Dodgers bosses who fattened their wallets but stiffed their fans and can ’ t even deliver a victory parade ?
And by the way , I don ’ t know about you , but I am shocked , shocked , shocked to hear that there is cheating in baseball .
This is the sport with players who , not that long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The sport with players whose heads and rear ends doubled in size every couple of years .
The sport with pipsqueaks hitting baseballs over the moon while attempting to bunt , all thanks to performance-enhancing drugs .
Team owners were in on the steroid scandal and the pooh-bahs of Major League baseball also knew exactly what was going on , but they all zipped their lips for years .
Because home run records and attendance records were shattered .
The nightly missile launch spectacle was money in the bank , and greed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the game ’ s all-time great heroes — Hank Aaron and Mickey Mantle , among others — were kicked to the curb while the juicers jacked .
These are the kinds of people we ’ re dealing with in the great American pasttime , so why would anyone assume it ’ s only the Astros and the Red Sox who stole signs ?
When I asked councilmen Paul Koretz and Gil Cedillo if the Dodgers had suggested they introduce the resolution , the answer was no .
It would look like sour grapes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Koretz said , adding that someone had to take a stand against a growing culture of cheating in society .
This is the same city council that last month unanimously approved a law that limited campaign contributions from real estate developers but left watchdogs aghast at all the loopholes .
Besides , the lightweight law — which won ’ t do much to change City Hall ’ s pay-to-play culture — doesn ’ t even go into effect for two years .
But I digress .
Back to the topic at hand , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the Dodgers ’ administration and players haven ’ t made that big of a stink about the sign stealing scandal ?
And isn ’ t it just as curious that we haven ’ t heard all that much from the other teams in baseball ?
If you ’ re wondering why , this might be of interest : Sports Illustrated quoted sources who said “ various Astros personnel told MLB investigators about eight other teams who used technology to steal signs in 2017 or 2018 — such was the culture of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Are we to believe players traded from the Astros or Red Sox to other organizations didn ’ t tell their new teams how the scheme worked , so it could be copied ?
When steroids were as common in baseball as bubble gum and chewing tobacco , a code of silence kept a lid on cheating for a long time .
In the case of sign stealing , former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers broke the code and spilled the beans , for which he was chastised by Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stays in the clubhouse , and Fiers broke the rules , ” Martinez said .
The Astros elevated the science of cheating , but Fiers is the one who broke the rules ?
No doubt , there ’ s a clear advantage to a batter who knows what pitch is speeding his way .
But the variables in baseball are many , and outcomes are determined by managing choices , by luck , by talent , by who performs best under pressure and by who comes through in the clutch , whether they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When the vote was tallied Tuesday , Councilman Bob Blumenfield said he supported the proposal by Koretz and Cedillo but thought it went too far , and that the Dodgers need to “ win it for real ” next year rather than be given trophies with asterisks on them .
But on the off chance that Major League Baseball caves and awards the 2017 and 2018 championships to the Dodgers , meet me at the victory parade .
I ’ ll be the guy wearing a bag over his head and banging @ @ @ @ @

Hey Dodgers fans, hold on a minute.
Remember those two heartbreaking World Series losses in 2017 and 2018 to the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox? Of course you do, but finally, just before spring training sets everyone up for another year of disappointment, there’s good news.
You can stop crying in your $16 Dodgers beer, because we won both championships. Or so the Los Angeles City Council says.
By a unanimous tally, the council voted Tuesday to request that both championships be awarded to the Dodgers because their opponents were stealing signs.
This opens up an unlimited set of possibilities. Maybe the council can convince somebody that I was cheated out of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Advertisement
Come on, folks. Is this what we’re reduced to? A frivolous, meaningless declaration filled with whereases and therefores to pretend our boys in blue were winners?
“WHEREAS…the Astros put a camera in center field, stole the catcher’s signals to the opposing pitcher and then conveyed the signs to the batter by banging on a garbage can or sending texts” blah blah blah blah blah.
I will say, however, that this poses a test of character for local Dodgers die-hards, who have a lot to consider.
Can a self-respecting fan feel good about the prospect of a second-hand trophy? Come on, people. Even the guy in the TV car commercial, who gets his sister’s hand-me-down station wagon, has enough pride to say no way.
And if all it would have taken to win the crown was a clever bit of larceny, can Dodgers fans actually say they wouldn’t have been happy to take their cue from the Astros?
I mean, the Astros’ transgressions didn’t really cost them that much. They were fined a mere $5 million for their sins, they sacrificed a few draft picks and their manager and general manager got sacked.
That’s a bargain, right? The Dodgers pocketed more than $8 billion for a TV rights deal that meant millions of Southern Californians could no longer get the games on TV. The team could easily handle a $5 million fine for stealing a few signs and finally winning a title.
On the moral relativity scale, whose heart is darker? The Astros bosses who figured out how to cheat better than the other cheaters, or the Dodgers bosses who fattened their wallets but stiffed their fans and can’t even deliver a victory parade?
Advertisement
And by the way, I don’t know about you, but I am shocked, shocked, shocked to hear that there is cheating in baseball.
This is the sport with players who, not that long ago, grew muscles on their muscles.
The sport with players whose heads and rear ends doubled in size every couple of years.
The sport with pipsqueaks hitting baseballs over the moon while attempting to bunt, all thanks to performance-enhancing drugs.
And here’s the deal:
Team owners were in on the steroid scandal and the pooh-bahs of Major League baseball also knew exactly what was going on, but they all zipped their lips for years.
Why?
Because home run records and attendance records were shattered. The nightly missile launch spectacle was money in the bank, and greed was good even if it meant that the game’s all-time great heroes — Hank Aaron and Mickey Mantle, among others — were kicked to the curb while the juicers jacked.
These are the kinds of people we’re dealing with in the great American pasttime, so why would anyone assume it’s only the Astros and the Red Sox who stole signs?
When I asked councilmen Paul Koretz and Gil Cedillo if the Dodgers had suggested they introduce the resolution, the answer was no. It would look like sour grapes if the Dodgers took the lead, Koretz said, adding that someone had to take a stand against a growing culture of cheating in society.
This is the same city council that last month unanimously approved a law that limited campaign contributions from real estate developers but left watchdogs aghast at all the loopholes. Besides, the lightweight law — which won’t do much to change City Hall’s pay-to-play culture — doesn’t even go into effect for two years.
But I digress. Back to the topic at hand, isn’t it a little curious that the Dodgers’ administration and players haven’t made that big of a stink about the sign stealing scandal? And isn’t it just as curious that we haven’t heard all that much from the other teams in baseball?
If you’re wondering why, this might be of interest:
Sports Illustrated quoted sources who said “various Astros personnel told MLB investigators about eight other teams who used technology to steal signs in 2017 or 2018 — such was the culture of the time.”
Players get traded routinely. Are we to believe players traded from the Astros or Red Sox to other organizations didn’t tell their new teams how the scheme worked, so it could be copied?
When steroids were as common in baseball as bubble gum and chewing tobacco, a code of silence kept a lid on cheating for a long time. In the case of sign stealing, former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers broke the code and spilled the beans, for which he was chastised by Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez.
“Whatever happens in the clubhouse stays in the clubhouse, and Fiers broke the rules,” Martinez said.
The Astros elevated the science of cheating, but Fiers is the one who broke the rules?
No doubt, there’s a clear advantage to a batter who knows what pitch is speeding his way. But the variables in baseball are many, and outcomes are determined by managing choices, by luck, by talent, by who performs best under pressure and by who comes through in the clutch, whether they know what pitches are coming or not.
When the vote was tallied Tuesday, Councilman Bob Blumenfield said he supported the proposal by Koretz and Cedillo but thought it went too far, and that the Dodgers need to “win it for real” next year rather than be given trophies with asterisks on them.
But on the off chance that Major League Baseball caves and awards the 2017 and 2018 championships to the Dodgers, meet me at the victory parade.
I’ll be the guy wearing a bag over his head and banging on a garbage can.