Feel Lucky? Well, do ya, punk?

It’s now September 9, 2009.

 09/09/09.

The television news says couples are spending money to lose more in Las Vegas — marriage first, tables later — because 9/09/09 is so lucky.

How many scheduled their nuptials to piggy-back on the deliriously vertiginous biorhythm spikes of 9:09 AM and 9:09 PM?

National Enquiring minds want to know.    Read more »

More

Tax Dollars At Work

(Editor’s Note: Tuesday, September 8 is the first day of the last week of the 2009 legislative session. For the next 96 hours, hundreds of bills re hurriedly passed by lawmakers, usually with little debate, while lobbyists clog the halls outside of the Assembly and Senate chambers. To get a sense of the tumult and chaos of the final week, California’s Capitol spent 30 minutes in the 40-member state Senate.    Read more »

More

Don’t Be Creeped by Crepe House Uni’s Plastic Food

Crepe House Uni doesn’t benefit from its location. There is nothing intrinsically bad about being located in the 100 block of E Street in Davis. Plenty of foot traffic, near movie theaters.

The issue isn’t the street or the city –it’s the country. Crepe House Uni would see a significant up-tick in business were it located in Tokyo or anywhere else in Japan.    Read more »

More

Roll Your Own at Quan Nem Ninh Hoa

One of the most joyful parts of reviewing restaurants is discovering places like Quan Nem Ninh Hoa. Of course it is the genius of my editor that sent me there but that in no way diminishes the delight. It says right up front on the menu that the restaurant, south of 47th St.    Read more »

More

“Education Finance Districts” Headed to the Governor

Awaiting a final vote on the Assembly floor is legislation aimed at making it easier for school districts to raise local revenue.

The measure, AB 267, was sent to the Assembly Sept. 3 by the 40-member Senate, which approved it on a party line 23 to 14 vote. The Assembly is expected to send the bill to Gov.    Read more »

More

Turf War Between Auto Insurers and Repair Shops Still Rages

A decade-long turf war between insurers and new car dealers over policyholder choice over repair shops is still simmering on the Senate floor.

An insurance industry backed measure that, on its face, appears to offer stricter protections for consumers from “steering,” the practice by insurers of pushing customers to use an insurer-backed repair shop, actually makes it easier to do so, opponents of AB 1200 argue.    Read more »

More

At Least One Problem Solved

The state Senate helped fix one of California’s many problems on September 3 — increasing oversight of the organic fertilizer industry.

On a unanimous vote, the upper house sent AB 856 to the Assembly for a final vote. It is likely to b signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger since it is supported by both his Department of Finance and Department of Food and Agriculture.    Read more »

More

Mandate of the People — Bradford Wins 51st Assembly District

Steven Bradford, a Gardena City Councilman, won 52.93 percent of the vote in the September 1 special election to fill this Southern California seat vacated by Curran Price when he was elected to the Senate. 

Turnout in the election was 7.53 percent.

According to the Secretary of State, the total number of votes cast was 13,500.    Read more »

More

Governor’s Comment on Proposed Fee on Single-Use Bags

This comment by Aaron McLear, Governor Schwarzenegger’s press secretary, was received at 9:34 PM August 31. It is now included in the “Schwarzenegger Administration Floats 25-Cent Fee on Single-Use Plastic and Paper Bags” post of August 31. 

“The Governor supports a ban on plastic bags but does not support a fee associated with this ban.    Read more »

More

Schwarzenegger Administration Floats 25-cent Fee on Single-Use Plastic and Paper Bags

Weeks after rejecting a Democrat-backed fee proposal to keep state parks open, the Schwarzenegger administration is proposing shoppers be assessed a 25 cent fee for each single-use paper or plastic bag – up to $2.00 per transaction – to pay for a variety of state recycling efforts.

“Requiring stores to charge and remit a fee for the distribution of single-use carryout bags will help the state and local governments to offset the environmental and social costs of single-use carryout bags,” says a summary of the idea which, sources say, has been discussed with members of both the Governor’s Office and the Department of Conservation, which oversees the state’ bottle and can recycling program.    Read more »

More