Transporation Daily News May 30

Tourism:

 

*Visitors to S.F. in 2007 set record for spending -- Even as the nation's economy sputtered and consumer confidence waned, more than 16 million visitors came to San Francisco last year and spent $8.2 billion, both all-time highs for tourism in the city. A key factor was an anemic U.S. dollar. Foreign tourists came in record numbers - about 2.3 million of them, a 9.5 percent increase over 2006, according to figures released Thursday by the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau. SF Chronicle 5/30/08

 

Emissions:

 

*White House report backs climate change warnings -- President Bush's top science advisors issued a comprehensive report Thursday that for the first time endorses what most scientific experts have long asserted: that greenhouse gases from fossil fuel combustion "are very likely the single largest cause" of Earth's warming. LA TImes 5/30/08

 

Environmentalists say EPA approved faulty pollution plan -- On Thursday, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Coalition for a Safe Environment and East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice and Endangered Habitats League filed a petition for review in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. The groups say the EPA has approved a faulty regional emissions plan that is the first hurdle the state must clear in applying for funding needed to expand freeways. SJ Mercury 5/30/08

 

Infrastructure:

 

$52 million to upgrade Bay Area traffic signals -- The California Transportation Commission has approved more than $52 million to improve traffic signals in the Bay Area, with a good chunk of money going to Silicon Valley. The upgrades are expected to save motorists nearly $3 million a year in gas costs alone on San Jose streets and Santa Clara County expressways. SJ Mercury 5/30/08

 

Schwarzenegger applauds transportation allocations -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signaled his approval following the action by the California Transportation Commission on Thursday to allocate $382 million in transportation funding from Proposition 1B throughout the state. “When the people of California voted for the $19.9 billion transportation bond they wanted action — and this is that action,” Schwarzenegger said. Eureka Reporter 5/30/08

 

Express train proposed for coast -- With gas costing $4 a gallon driving record numbers of people onto the train, it is time to introduce express service on the nation's second-busiest passenger rail line and to accelerate laying a second track along the Southern California coast, officials said Thursday. The mayor of a North County city, San Diego city officials and the head of a regional planning agency used a rare San Diego meeting of the California Transportation Commission to propose a two-hour, limited-stop trip between the state's two largest cities and to lobby commissioners for political and financial support. North County Times 5/30/08

 

High-speed rail:

 

*High-speed rail, air fee bills advance -- The Valley air district could raise vehicle registration fees by up to $23 a car to pay for clean-air programs under a bill that passed the state Assembly on Thursday. Lawmakers in the lower house also approved a bill that redefines the statewide high-speed train measure on November's ballot. Fresno Bee 5/29/08

 

Villines' support for high-speed rail is crucial to region -- Today the Fresno Bee wrote an editorial calling on Assembly Minority Leader Mike Villines to support AB 3034 and high speed rail .Fresno Bee 5/30/08

 

Mass transit:

 

BART 'library' opens for business -- Commuters boarding BART trains at the Pittsburg/Bay Point station can now pick up a library book to take along on their trip.  A "Library-a-Go-Go" machine was installed at the station Thursday, allowing passengers carrying a valid Contra Costa County library card to swipe it through an ATM-like device to check out a book. East Bay Business Times 5/30/08

 

Shipping:

 

*All long-haul trucks on California roads to be subject to SmartWay environmental laws -- The California Air Resources Board (CARB) says it has drafted new regulations that, if enforced, will require tractors and trailers to be fitted or retrofitted with aerodynamic devices and low rolling-resistance tyres. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) says it has drafted new regulations that, if enforced, will require tractors and trailers to be fitted or retrofitted with aerodynamic devices and low rolling-resistance tyres, the eTrucker portal reports. Automotive World 5/29/08

 

Sunk: Shippers Try to Balance Fuel and Emissions Worries -- High oil prices and growing environmental awareness are already pinching industries like airlines and trucking, under fire for their greenhouse-gas emissions and under the gun as fuel costs cripple their businesses.  But the double-whammy of pricey oil and green politics are having an even bigger impact on the global shipping industry—and that could have even bigger knock-on effects throughout the global economy. Big cargo ships, like airlines, already have an economic incentive to be more fuel-efficient, curbing emissions at the same time. Wall Street Journal 5/30/08

 

Agriculture Daily News May 30

Health:

 

Four Japanese gang figures got liver transplants at UCLA -- UCLA Medical Center and its most accomplished liver surgeon provided a life-saving transplant to one of Japan's most powerful gang bosses, law enforcement sources told The Times. In addition, the surgeon performed liver transplants at UCLA on three other men who are now barred from entering the United States because of their criminal records or suspected affiliation with Japanese organized crime groups, said a knowledgeable law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity. LA Times 5/30/08

 

*Bill requires hospitals to report infections -- California hospitals would be required to step up prevention of drug-resistant infections and, for the first time, report any such cases to health authorities under a bill that passed the state Senate this week. SF Chronicle 5/30/08

 

Senate bill OKs druggists' sharing patient files -- A bill that would allow pharmacies in California to share patient prescription information with third-party businesses working for drugmakers was approved in the state Senate 21-16 Thursday. Under the legislation, pharmaceutical companies could send mailings directly to patients suffering from illnesses such as cancer, Parkinson's and schizophrenia.  SF Chronicle 5/30/08

 

Parks and forests:

 

*Fire-protection bills may add annual fees, wildland restrictions -- Democratic lawmakers yesterday advanced sweeping fire-protection bills that would impose new fees and building restrictions in wildland areas. Property owners could be annually charged $50 per structure to fund fire prevention programs, under legislation carried by Sen. Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego. Kehoe and Assemblyman Dave Jones, D-Sacramento, also succeeded in moving separate bills that would require developers to prove that there is adequate fire protection before new subdivisions can be approved in high-risk areas protected by Cal Fire. San Diego Union Tribune 5/30/08

 

Water:

 

SalmonAid in Oakland -- A two-day festival featuring 20 live bands is taking over Jack London Square in Oakland this weekend, all to raise awareness about the plight of wild salmon on the Pacific Coast and energize salmon-lovers to rally to protect the fish. Contra Costa Times 5/30/08

 

Seat on water board is hotly contested -- Some Silicon Valley residents also pay attention every election day, when seats on the seven-member governing board of the Santa Clara Valley Water District are on the ballot. The district is the main government agency that provides water and flood protection in Santa Clara County. The seat represents downtown San Jose, parts of East San Jose and Willow Glen. SJ Mercury 5/30/08

 

Agriculture:

 

*Assembly wants EIR before apple moth spraying resumes -- After a heated debate that included charges of fear-mongering, the Assembly narrowly approved a bill Thursday to require the state to complete an environmental impact report before moving ahead with aerial spraying to eradicate the light brown apple moth. The bill was sent to the Senate by a 41-32 vote, but it wouldn't take effect until January, four months after the Schwarzenegger administration plans to spray in seven San Francisco Bay area counties. SJ Mercury 5/30/08

 

Bio-fuels:

 

As Oil Prices Soar, Restaurant Grease Thefts Rise -- Much to the surprise of many people, processed fryer oil, which is called yellow grease, is actually not trash. The grease is traded on the booming commodities market. Its value has increased in recent months to historic highs, driven by the even higher prices of gas and ethanol, making it an ever more popular form of biodiesel to fuel cars and trucks. The City of San Francisco has its own grease recycling program run through the Public Utilities Commission called SFGreasecycle, which collects discarded vegetable oil from city restaurants at no charge and recycles it into biodiesel for use in the city fleet. NY Times 5/30/08

 

 

 

 

News Update May 28

Shipping costs rise for California-grown fruit -- Truckers and retailers have increased the costs they charge farmers to carry peaches, nectarines and plums to market. The increased cost of fuel has caused the independent truckers and the retailers to increase the cost of a load of fruit, particularly to the East Coast,” says Kerry Whitson, a Tulare County peach, plum and nectarine grower. Retailers want farmers to pay the bulk of the increase. Central Valley Business Times 5/29/08

 

Gasoline production drops in California -- California’s refineries made 6,332,000 barrels of gasoline meeting the clean-burning standards of the California Air Resources Board during the week ended May 23, the California Energy Commission reported Wednesday afternoon. The amount was 10.9 percent less than in the previous week and 10.1 percent less than was made in the comparable week a year earlier. Central Valley Business Times 5/29/08

 

U.N. Report Seeks Action to Address Food Crisis -- In anticipation of a global summit on the food crisis, the United Nations called on world leaders Wednesday to agree to urgent measures to ease demand for grains and alleviate high food prices. The report, by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, suggests that countries might need to reconsider policies that encourage the production of ethanol and other biofuels. NY Times 5/29/08

 

Transporation Daily News May 29

Tourism:

 

Don’t Bother With the Hotel Pool -- Swimming-oriented tours and vacations have been around for a while, but lately there are new trips of a single day up to a whole week for the recreational swimmer, such as those offered from Alcatraz Island to the San Francisco Aquatic Park. NY Times 5/25/08

 

Possible Influx of New Yorkers to CA for Gay Marriage as State May Recognize Unions -- As California prepares for the June 17 start-date for same-sex marriages, barring the Supreme Court does not stay the ban until the November election, New York state Governor Paterson recently "issued a memo telling all state agencies to recognize legally performed, out-of-state same-sex marriages as valid marriages. Los Angeles and San Francisco might be seeing an unexpected spike in tourism this summer and if that happens. LAist 5/29/08

 

Emissions:

 

S.F. among lowest carbon emitters in U.S. -- People living in cities with dense development and rail transit systems generally put out lower amounts of carbon emissions than citizens of sprawling bad-weather metropolises that use coal-fired electricity, according to new research. San Francisco and surrounding cities came in eighth in a ranking of lowest emissions among 100 metropolitan areas nationwide. SF Chronicle 5/29/08

 

General Motors Announces California Public Policy Partners in Chevrolet’s Project Driveway -- More than 100 electric vehicles, powered by hydrogen fuel cells, are being placed in the hands of drivers in New York, California and Washington, DC. Selected drivers include general public, media, influencers, celebrities, business and public policy partners. Webwire 5/29/08

 

Heavy lifting begins in California fight against greenhouse gas emissions -- A at the end of next month, the state Air Resources Board will release its draft plan on putting key provisions of the law, AB32 which Schwarzenegger signed in 2006, into effect. The report will kick off months of hearings leading up to a final approval in October. The provisions take effect in January—and then begins the drafting of regulations. Current proposals cover about 60 percent of the reductions, but debate over meeting the remaining 40 percent portion focuses on options over emission enforcement, market systems, including auctions; pay-to-pollute fees, environmental justice and offsets. Capitol Weekly 5/29/08

 

Suit targets air quality along freeways -- A coalition of environmental groups plans to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today to force it to overturn motor vehicle emissions limits for Southern California, charging that the targets fail to address hazardous pollution faced by 1.5 million people who live next to freeways. In a petition to be filed in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, the Natural Resources Defense Council is demanding comprehensive monitoring of air quality along freeways, including the 710 Freeway, where traffic flow averages 12,180 vehicles per hour -- more than 25% of them diesel trucks. LA Times 5/29/08

 

Infrastructure:

 

US rail network facing congestion 'calamity' -- While the nation's attention is focused on air travel congestion and the high cost of fuel for highway driving, a crisis is developing under the radar for another form of transportation — the freight trains used to deliver many of the goods that keep the U.S. economy humming. The nation's 140,000-mile network of rails devoted to carrying everything from cars to grain by freight is already groaning under the strain of congestion, with trains forced to stand aside for hours because of one-track rail lines. And it's probably going to get worse over the next two decades, according to an analysis of government and industry projections. AP 5/29/08

 

$382 Million in Proposition 1B Funding Approved for Transportation Projects -- The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced today that the California Transportation Commission (CTC) has approved $382 million in transportation funding from Proposition 1B, the 2006 voter-approved transportation bond. From that $10 million was allocated to Alameda county for station and track improvements at the Emeryville Station. Business Wire 5/29/08

 

Caltrans helpless to stop highway thieves -- Burglars and metal thieves are descending on local Caltrans facilities in droves. Terri Kasinga says many are striking at night along busy freeways in plain view of passing motorists. “We’ll be putting security cameras in all angles of the yards and there’s a chance we may have to start hiring security guards,” Kasinga said. Inland News Today 5/29/08

 

Shipping:

 

Shipping costs rise for California-grown fruit -- Truckers and retailers have increased the costs they charge farmers to carry peaches, nectarines and plums to market. The increased cost of fuel has caused the independent truckers and the retailers to increase the cost of a load of fruit, particularly to the East Coast,” says Kerry Whitson, a Tulare County peach, plum and nectarine grower. Retailers want farmers to pay the bulk of the increase. Central Valley Business Times 5/29/08

Agriculture Daily News May 29

Agriculture:

 

*Some US farms outsourced to Mexico – Many American farm have moved their fields to Mexico, where they can find qualified people, often with U.S. experience, who can't be deported. American companies now farm more than 45,000 acres of land in three Mexican states, employing about 11,000 people, a 2007 survey by the U.S. farm group Western Growers shows. U.S. direct investment in Mexican agriculture, which includes both American companies moving their operations to Mexico and setting up Mexican partnerships, has swelled sevenfold to $60 million since 2000, Mexico's Economy Department said. AP 5/28/08

 

Chilean grape surplus could clog U.S. market -- A glut of late fruit from Chile has hurt markets for early-season grapes from California and Mexico, grower-shippers said. The Packer 5/28/08

 

*With prices soaring, Valley rice farmers face a gamble -- Riding the coattails of the tight global commodity markets, the spot-market price of California rice – the money farmers can get for their crop – has doubled since June and sits at $24.75 for 100 pounds. The volatile market has spawned an explosion of new marketing techniques that make it possible for state rice farmers to sell their crop long before harvest, betting on whether the market will fall in the future or continue to rise. For every dollar the price shifts, even relatively small farmers stand to gain or lose tens of thousands of dollars. Sacramento Bee 5/29/08

 

*San Bruno takes stand against aerial moth spraying -- Spurred by a group of concerned citizens, the City Council has unanimously backed a resolution opposing a proposed aerial spraying program to control the Bay Area's growing population of light brown apple moths. The resolution was by far the most strongly worded response of any Peninsula city to the pheromone spraying plan proposed by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. CC Times 5/28/08

 

Health:

 

Court weighs if doctors can not treat lesbian -- The issue at Wednesday's hearing in San Francisco was whether the doctors, or any business owners or employees, can invoke their religious beliefs to justify refusing to provide service to a particular person or group. The doctors in the case are asking the court to let them rely on their religion as a defense in her pending damage suit. The suit is against a fertility clinic in Vista (San Diego County) and two of its doctors who refused in 2000 to provide intrauterine insemination for a lesbian couple because of religious belief. SF Chronicle 5/29/08

 

Assembly OKs paid sick leave for all -- California would become the first state to require paid sick leave for every worker under legislation passed Wednesday by the Assembly. The measure would allow the sick leave to be used for a personal illness, to care for a sick family member, or to recover from domestic violence or sexual assault. Sacramento Bee 5/29/08

 

Bio-fuels:

 

Sapphire Energy turns algae into 'green crude' for fuel -- A San Diego company said Wednesday that it could turn algae into oil, producing a green-colored crude yielding ultra-clean versions of gasoline and diesel without the downsides of biofuel production. The year-old company, called Sapphire Energy, uses algae, sunlight, carbon dioxide and non-potable water to make "green crude" that it contends is chemically equivalent to the light, sweet crude oil that has been fetching more than $130 a barrel in New York futures trading. LA Times 5/29/08

 

Food and wine:

 

Winery goes solar with 'Floatovoltaics' -- Take nearly 1,000 photovoltaic panels and mount them on 130 pontoons floating in a Napa Valley irrigation pond, and what do you have? A first-of-its-kind solar power array and the latest example of why Northern California's wine industry - with its scores of entrepreneurs and mavericks - is a leader in embracing solar power. Representatives of the Far Niente winery in Oakville pointed out the unique aspects of a $4.2 million solar venture during a tour Wednesday in advance of today's ceremonial unveiling of the project.  SF Chronicle 5/29/08

 

Costco profit climbs 32 percent, tops outlook -- Costco Wholesale reported a 32 percent jump in third-quarter profits today to top Wall Street expectations, as cash-squeezed customers flocked to its warehouse clubs in search of bargains on food and toiletries. AP 5/29/08

 

Economy down, Spam sales up -- Sales of Spam are rising as consumers are turning more to lunch meats and other lower-cost foods to extend their already stretched food budgets. CC Times 5/29/08

 

Water:

 

Daniel Weintraub: Old idea that’s new again: Rainwater harvesting -- With California on the edge of drought and water restrictions already beginning in some areas, the state might soon be looking toward an ancient practice that is attracting renewed interest around the world: rainwater harvesting. Rainwater harvesting wouldn't be a panacea, but for many people, it might at least be the difference between having a green yard or a brown one, or provide enough water to wash their car when they want to. Sacramento Bee 5/29/08

 

 

Economic Daily News May 29

Economy & Business

 

Suffering From Foreclosure Scams -- Mortgage and foreclosure fraud is growing. According to the FBI 2007 Mortgage Fraud Report, suspicious activity reports grew 31 percent to 46,717 in 2007. The 1,204 mortgage fraud cases pursued in fiscal year 2007, which ended Sept. 30, resulted in 321 indictments and court orders for $595.9 million in restitution. In the Bay Area, counties are ranked by mortgage fraud with Santa Clara being the highest and then followed by Alameda and Contra Costa counties. CC Times 5/27/08

 

*Nevada sales down -- Nevada merchants reported another bad month in March—sales totaling $4.3 billion for a nearly 4 percent decline over the same month a year earlier. But even though that resulted in the 10th straight monthly decline in tax collections based on sales, Nevada's budget chief said the "good news" is that the state's combined revenue shortfall projection through mid-2009 still remains below $1 billion. AP 5/29/08

 

*Patelco steps up to help ailing Sterlent -- Sterlent Credit Union said Wednesday it has struck a deal with Patelco Credit Union that is designed to stabilize Sterlent's ailing finances, which have been jolted by the implosion of the housing market. The terms and nature of the agreement between Pleasanton-based Sterlent and San Francisco-based Patelco were not immediately disclosed. It was not made clear on Wednesday what Patelco's ownership, management or financial stake in Sterlent might be. Federal regulators are expected to review the proposal. CC Times 5/28/08

 

New jobless claims filings rise -- The number of new people signing up for unemployment benefits increased last week. It was the latest sign of softness in employment conditions. The Labor Department reported today that new applications filed for unemployment insurance rose by a seasonally adjusted 4,000 to 372,000 last week. The increase left claims slightly higher than the 370,000 level that economists were forecasting. AP 5/29/08

 

Costco profit climbs 32 percent, tops outlook -- Costco Wholesale reported a 32 percent jump in third-quarter profits today to top Wall Street expectations, as cash-squeezed customers flocked to its warehouse clubs in search of bargains on food and toiletries. AP 5/29/08

 

Energy & Environment

 

*San Jose is nation's 7th-greenest city -- San Jose has one of the smallest carbon footprints of any large U.S. city, research to be released today by the Brookings Institution reveals. The San Jose metropolitan area, including Sunnyvale and Santa Clara, ranked No. 7 among the 100 largest cities in terms of the amount of carbon produced by its residents' energy use. San Francisco, which researchers pair with Oakland and Fremont, finished eighth. SJ Mercury 5/29/08

 

After record year, Chevron faces the music -- Despite a record-setting financial performance in 2007, Chevron Corp. faced a fusillade of criticism about its operations in several countries during the company's shareholders meeting here Wednesday. Yet Chevron is being besieged on multiple fronts over its activities in Ecuador, Myanmar, Iraq, Nigeria and other countries. The company also is taking heat as gasoline prices skyrocket. Inside Bay Area 5/29/08

 

Assembly passes bag fee legislation -- Supermarket shoppers in California would be charged a quarter a bag beginning in July 2011 if the store at which they shop doesn't meet plastic bag-recycling goals, under a bill approved Wednesday by the Assembly. The bill, which now goes to the Senate, passed the Assembly on a 40 vote, with only majority Democrats in support. Ventura County Star 5/29/08

 

Heavy lifting begins in California fight against greenhouse gas emissions -- A at the end of next month, the state Air Resources Board will release its draft plan on putting key provisions of the law, AB32 which Schwarzenegger signed in 2006, into effect. The report will kick off months of hearings leading up to a final approval in October. The provisions take effect in January—and then begins the drafting of regulations. Current proposals cover about 60 percent of the reductions, but debate over meeting the remaining 40 percent portion focuses on options over emission enforcement, market systems, including auctions; pay-to-pollute fees, environmental justice and offsets. Capitol Weekly 5/29/08

 

Sapphire Energy turns algae into 'green crude' for fuel -- A San Diego company said Wednesday that it could turn algae into oil, producing a green-colored crude yielding ultra-clean versions of gasoline and diesel without the downsides of biofuel production. The year-old company, called Sapphire Energy, uses algae, sunlight, carbon dioxide and non-potable water to make "green crude" that it contends is chemically equivalent to the light, sweet crude oil that has been fetching more than $130 a barrel in New York futures trading. LA Times 5/29/08

 

Winery goes solar with 'Floatovoltaics' -- Take nearly 1,000 photovoltaic panels and mount them on 130 pontoons floating in a Napa Valley irrigation pond, and what do you have? A first-of-its-kind solar power array and the latest example of why Northern California's wine industry - with its scores of entrepreneurs and mavericks - is a leader in embracing solar power. Representatives of the Far Niente winery in Oakville pointed out the unique aspects of a $4.2 million solar venture during a tour Wednesday in advance of today's ceremonial unveiling of the project.  SF Chronicle 5/29/08

 

Daniel Weintraub: Old idea that’s new again: Rainwater harvesting -- With California on the edge of drought and water restrictions already beginning in some areas, the state might soon be looking toward an ancient practice that is attracting renewed interest around the world: rainwater harvesting. Rainwater harvesting wouldn't be a panacea, but for many people, it might at least be the difference between having a green yard or a brown one, or provide enough water to wash their car when they want to. Sacramento Bee 5/29/08

 

Media & Entertainment

 

*Digital arts festivals take over Bay Area -- The Bay Area is North America's new-media hub. At no time with this be more evident than next week, as two major Bay Area digital arts festivals welcome the public to admire, participate and enjoy. Starting Sunday, the UC Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive will host Berkeley Big Bang 08, a three-day event featuring talks, digital arts displays and an open house. Big Bang 08 is timed to precede a bigger event in San Jose, the biennial 01SJ: A Global Festival of Art on the Edge (June 4-8). Both festivals are celebrating what is commonly known as "electronic art," which uses computers in some form to get a message across. CC Times 5/28/08

 

Finance, Budget & Tax

 

Walnut Creek looks at trimming 13 positions, other cuts, to balance 2008-10 budget -- The council reviewed its draft 2008-10 operating and capital investment budgets Tuesday, looking at leaving 13 positions vacant and cutting back in several areas, including contributions to nonprofit organizations and schools. The city is experiencing a drop in sales tax revenue, which makes up about 44 percent of total revenues. CC Times 5/29/08

 

Venture Capital, Technology, & Silicon Valley

 

Fee for unlisted phone number unlikely to end -- A bill by state Sen. Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica) that would have eliminated phone-company fees for keeping numbers out of phone directories and unavailable through 411 directory assistance failed to pass in the Senate on Tuesday. In the face of intense lobbying from AT&T, Verizon and smaller companies, Kuehl said she had given up trying to combat fees that now run as high as $25 a year. LA Times 5/29/08

 

Silicon Valley janitors end their strike -- Janitors who clean facilities for some of Silicon Valley's major technology companies ended a nine-day strike Wednesday after ratifying a contract that will bring them a 22 percent wage increase and improved health care benefits after four years. SF Chronicle 5/29/08

 

IPhone buzz fueled by new network -- Buzz about the new iPhone — expected to be released in June — has less to do with the phone itself than its use of AT&T's 3G network. That 3G network, which refers to a third generation of wireless networks, would dramatically improve the performance of some iPhone features, such as Web browsing. CC Times 5/28/08

 

Intel looks to smaller gadgets -- ntel's push to create and boost new categories of small, cheap Internet-connected devices is taking the world's largest chip maker in some unusual directions.It's investing in wireless networks, or even buying them outright. It's relying on software that isn't from Microsoft. And it's looking at making processors cheaper and smaller rather than faster and faster. SJ Mercury 5/29/08

 

Google mobile phone software draws raves at conference -- Google showcased a phone using the Android mobile software system for the first time at a developer conference in San Francisco on Wednesday to some rave reviews. The prototype of a phone using Google's free software for mobile devices shown Wednesday resembled the iPhone in its minimalist design and responsiveness to gentle touches and taps. But it also sported some fresh features that may prompt a few iPhone users to upgrade. SJ Mercury 5/29/08

 

Transporation Daily News May 28

Emissions:

 

*States sue EPA over ozone pollution standards -- New York, California, and 12 other states have sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, claiming it violated the Clean Air Act by not toughening ozone pollution standards enough in March, the New York attorney general said on Wednesday. Reuters 5/28/08

 

CARB Proposes New Air Quality Regulations -- The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is circulating a draft regulation that would require heavy duty tractors and 53-foot box-type trailers to be equipped with devices that would reduce drag and rolling resistance in an effort to improve efficiency and reduce greenhousegas emissions. Material Handling Management 5/28/08

 

Ports and water:

 

*East Bay Regional Park District bans out-of-state boats -- The East Bay Regional Park District has banned out-of-state boats from its recreational lakes in the latest crackdown by a local agency to prevent two non-native mussels from infecting new waters in California. Park managers are trying to stop the spread of quagga and zebra mussels, which can stow away in boats from infested lakes or rivers and hitchhike rides to new waters. SJ Mercury 5/28/08

 

Alcohol use is No. 1 contributing factor in boating fatalities -- According to the most recent U.S. Coast Guard statistics, alcohol use is ranked No. 1 as a contributing factor in fatal boating accidents in the United States. There were 133 alcohol use-related boating fatalities in 2006 (the latest statistics available). In California in 2007, the California Department of Boating and Waterways reported 1,800 alcohol-related boating accidents.  Lakeco News 5/24/08

 

*Long Beach port's Middle Harbor plan aimed at clearing region's air -- Vessels would have to be able to plug into the electrical grid and turn off their auxiliary diesel engines, and yard equipment would have to operate on the cleanest energy. The reason: As planned, Middle Harbor would be permitted to emit no more than half of current pollution levels. The 10-year, $750-million project would combine two terminals that are too old, inefficient and dirty to meet the port's goals for pollution reduction and greater productivity. LA Times 5/27/08

Infrastructure:

 

Bay Bridge coming together slowly but surely -- From their through-the-windshield vantage point on the upper deck of the Bay Bridge, morning commuters can spy a structure being built to their left as they near Yerba Buena Island. During the next few months, they'll see another structure rising on their right. Still, both will play an important role in the next four to five years of construction on the new Bay Bridge. And they're manifestations of why construction of the $1.04 billion single-tower suspension span is so costly, so complex and will take so long to complete. SF Chronicle 5/28/08

 

“To toll or not to toll”: State transport leaders singing the highway funding blues -- State transportation budgets are being broken around the country by a decreased level of federal funding at a time when transport and logistics infrastructure needs are growing at an alarming rate. Up until about 20 years ago, the primary means of funding transport projects in the Golden State was through the tradition “80-20” federal-state funding arrangements. But now, McKim says, the federal government is paying only about 15 percent of California’s share of highway funding. In addition, revenue from state gasoline taxes fell 5 percent in the past year as drivers revolt from $4-a-gallon gasoline. Logistics Management 5/27/08

 

Cement industry trying to meet demand while curbing emissions -- Now, the cement industry has the full attention of one of 11 Climate Action Team subgroups, comprised of industry representatives, state agencies such as the Air Resources Board and environmentalists, and they want to know what cement industries will be doing to support California clean air initiatives. In an apparent effort to reduce costs, plants such as Hanson are looking at different fuel sources - some of them not so new.  SJ Mercury 5/28/08

 

High-speed rail:

 

High-speed rail solution for chronic sky troubles – An editorial by Bruce Reed, president of the Democratic Leadership Council and Paul Weinstein, chief operating officer of the Progressive Policy Institute and a visiting fellow at Johns Hopkins: That's why the next president and the new Congress should commit to building five new high-speed rail corridors in the next 10 years. Roads and airports have direct sources of financing - namely, taxes on gasoline and ticket purchases. If high-speed rail is going to become a reality, it will need a similarly robust stream of income. That's why policymakers should establish a trust fund that would finance construction and maintenance. Newsday 5/28/08

 

Transportation:

Parking officers prepare to deal with rising tide of anger -- With assault cases against San Francisco’s parking control officers in double digits, The City is putting its ticket-dispensing employees through a new conflict-resolution program to help them defuse the angry reactions of unruly citizens. Assault cases against parking control officers, who are overseen by Muni, rose from 17 in 2005 to 28 in 2006. Examiner 5/28/08

 

Agriculture Daily News May 28

Food:

 

The Accidental Vegetarian: Grilling the Japanese way -- A few vegetarian Japanese restaurants have opened in the Bay Area during the past few years, and it was at one of them that I was reminded of how simple, yet how full-flavored good Japanese dishes can be. SF Chronicle 5/28/08

 

Bay Area women are eating their veggies -- San Francisco Bay Area women racked up the best scores for healthful eating and low body-mass index for large metropolitan regions in a study released last week by the American Heart Association. In addition to eating their veggies and keeping their weight down, Bay Area women are more likely to get regular exercise and avoid smoking, according to the survey. On the downside, they tend to drink more alcohol and have access to fewer cardiologists and teaching hospitals per capita than the national average. SJ Mercury 5/28/08

 

Water:

 

Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force to Meet  -- The Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force will meet May 28 and 29 to hear recommendations from four workgroups established to assist them: delta ecosystem, water reliability, Delta as place and governance and finance. The Task Force also will issue directions to staff for development of a strategic plan. Delta Vision webpage 5/16/08

 

DFG moves to solve salmon mystery -- King salmon smolts have been implanted with acoustical tags under a multi-agency research project to provide scientists answers to why as many as 90 percent of the young fish die each year while out-migrating through the south Delta and San Joaquin River. The transmitters are programmed by the U.S. Geological Service. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and two private consulting firms are providing technical assistance to the project. Stockton Record 5/28/08

 

Water quality data and water quality report for 2007 -- The following is an excerpt from the 2007 Water Quality Report provided by Stanford in compliance with the requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). Stanford News Service 5/28/08

 

Bay Point voices environmental justice issues – A survey found that industrial pollution and illegal garbage dumping were the top two concerns of Bay Point residents, followed by poor water quality. The goal of the survey and workshop is to educate Bay Point community members on environmental justice and how residents can prioritize issues to improve their condition, said Roxanne Carillo, manager of the Contra Costa Health Services Healthy Neighborhoods Project. SJ Mercury 5/28/08

 

Health:

 

US child obesity 'hits plateau' -- An analysis of data from 1999 to 2006 by the US government's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed obesity rates stable at 16%.  Public health experts remained cautious about the findings and were unable to pinpoint the reasons for them.  BBC 5/28/08

 

Bill would let pharmacies sell medical records -- Pharmacies in California would be allowed to sell confidential patient prescription information to third-party marketing firms working for drug companies under a bill expected to be voted on Thursday by the state Senate. The legislation would allow pharmaceutical firms to send mailings directly to patients. Supporters of the proposal say the intent is to remind patients to take their medicine and order refills. But consumer privacy advocates are outraged. SF Chronicle 5/28/08

 

Lead exposure in children linked to violent crime -- The first study to follow lead-exposed children from before birth into adulthood has shown that even relatively low levels of lead permanently damage the brain and are linked to higher numbers of arrests, particularly for violent crime. 5/28/08

 

Parks and forests:

 

Could $10 DMV fee pay for state parks? -- Attempting to solve the recurring budget shortfalls that have left California's once-renowned state parks system struggling with too many repairs and too few rangers, Assemblyman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, plans to introduce a proposal today to increase funding for parks through the state's vehicle fees. SJ Mercury 5/28/08

 

States agree on Tahoe area fire prevention -- A state of emergency was declared Tuesday in the Lake Tahoe basin by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons, who took the advice of a two-state commission that declared the region ripe for catastrophic fire. The emergency declarations mean more money and resources will be sunk into fuel removal projects, fire department personnel and fire prevention techniques over the next 10 years in an attempt to reduce the threat to life and property. SF Chronicle 5/28/08

 

Agriculture:

 

Costlier food: Pain for some, but bigger profit for others -- The steepest increases in food prices since 1990 are hurting grocery shoppers, restaurants and school cafeterias. But there are winners in the new food economy, including crop farmers selling corn and wheat at near-record highs after years of crushingly low prices. Also, ingredient-makers such as Cargill Inc. and Archer Daniels Midland Co. are rife with profit, and fertilizer and tractor companies are cashing in. AP 5/28/08

Agriculture Daily News May 27

Health:

 

*Combat leads to brain injuries in one-fifth of veterans -- While clinicians work with a sparse arsenal for treating largely invisible brain injuries, the Bay Area has a role as a hotbed of research and innovative treatments for combat-related neurological trauma. During a recent conference in San Francisco, more than a dozen experts in neurology, psychiatry and brain imaging described to an audience of nearly 100 scientists and journalists nascent efforts to develop effective treatments for brain traumas sustained by combat veterans in Iraq and Afghanistan. Inside Bay Area 5/24/08

 

*Federal ruling keeps $5 billion cut to Medicaid at bay for now -- Hospital officials around the Bay Area breathed a sigh of relief after a federal judge on Friday blocked a new Bush administration regulation trimming an estimated $5 billion over five years in Medicaid funds for public hospitals. The ruling came two days before a congressional moratorium blocking the Medicaid cuts expired Sunday, although it provides only short-term protection. If the cuts do take effect, 22 California public hospitals stand to lose $600 million annually.  SJ Mercury 5/26/08

 

Turning cell phones into tools of medicine -- Three Bay Area research teams are using cell phones to stretch the power of diagnostic equipment and medical services by devising simple, inexpensive ways to avert, treat and rehabilitate people after medical crises. Already, researchers are putting cell phones in area ambulances to monitor heart attack patients, and they plan to use phones in developing nations to help spot internal bleeding among women who've just given birth. here are about 2 billion cell phones worldwide, making the communication devices ideal for delivering top-tier medical care in developing countries or rural locations hours from the nearest hospital. Inside Bay Area 5/27/08

 

State cuts to health and social services will hit some hard -- Schwarzenegger has proposed cutting $3.4 billion from health and social service programs, from a projected budget of $33.2 billion to $29.8 billion. State general fund spending is second only to education. Low-income would be particularly hard hit under the governor's plan because they receive assistance from different state programs. Under his plan, an estimated 84,000 seniors would lose help with daily chores like laundry, cleaning and bathing. Seniors and the blind and disabled would not receive a cost-of-living increase in their Social Security Income checks despite rising gas and food prices. Poor adults would lose basic dental and vision care. Sacramento Bee 5/27/08

 

Hospitals, patients clash on privacy rights -- When patients check into hospitals or doctor offices, they presume their information will be kept in strictest confidence, but often, amid the pile of papers, they overlook fine print describing how their personal information can be farmed out for fundraising. Hospitals and other health care organizations widely use patient information, without patients' explicit permission, to raise funds. To the dismay of privacy-rights advocates and some in the medical field, fundraising to benefit medical institutions is allowed under federal law. SF Chronicle 5/26/08

 

Health plan for all being fought by Bush administration, restaurants -- San Francisco, known for its progressive social policies, is addressing a problem that has proved too complex or difficult for nearly all state, federal and local officials: how to provide regular, effective care for the uninsured. But the city's 10-month-old program has provoked fierce opposition from the Bush administration and restaurant owners who have gone to court to strike down the employer fees that provide a crucial source of funding. They contend that the city ordinance violates a federal law that gives Congress some authority to regulate private-sector health benefits. San Diego Union Tribune 5/24/08

 

Food:

 

*Food banks face high costs but feeding more people -- To meet growing demand, America's Second Harvest-The Nation's Food Bank Network, pressed lawmakers for the past year to increase the annual level of funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program, commonly know as TEFAP, from $140 million to $250 million annually.  A survey it conducted of 180 food banks in late April and early May found that 99 percent have seen an increase in the number of clients served within the last year. The increase is estimated at 15 percent to 20 percent, though many food banks reported increases as high as 40 percent. The money was included in the Farm Bill recently approved by Congress, but won't be available until the next fiscal year, which starts in October. AP 5/26/08

 

Parks and forests:

 

State bolsters firefighting efforts -- Californis is hiring an extra 1,100 seasonal firefighters, commandeering a super-size tanker that can release 12,000 gallons of fire retardant in a single drop, and imploring homeowners to do their part. To pay for the beefed-up firefighting, the governor has proposed a surcharge on homeowner insurance policies - 1.4 percent for homes in disaster-prone zones, 0.75 percent for homes elsewhere - that he says would generate more than $100 million annually. SJ Mercury 5/24/08

 

*Parks in peril: With money tight, repair needs mount -- This Memorial Day weekend, campsites are booked from Mount Shasta to San Diego. But California's state park system - once considered the best in the nation - is falling apart.  Throughout the system, sewage pipes are crumbling. Roofs leak and thousands of scenic acres are padlocked for lack of rangers. The number of state park employees - 2,970 rangers, lifeguards and others - has remained unchanged since 1988. But during the same time, the number of park visitors has increased by 5.3 million people. SJ Mercury 5/25/08

 

Funding parks: How would you feel about 'Budweiser Beach'? -- Parks supporters have explored a wide range of ideas to bring the park system back to health, from higher fees to corporate sponsorship to new taxes. But most are controversial and have a downside as well as an upside. California's state parks department has tried to expand corporate partnerships in the past two years, for example, but when Gov. Pete Wilson's administration explored a plan in the mid-1990s to allow corporate logos into parks, the public and environmental groups protested vehemently and it was dropped. SJ Mercury 5/26/08

 

Count on a long Northern California fire season -- Fire season has arrived early in Northern California, with a number of major wildfires already popping up in the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Sierra foothills.  Although blazes aren't unheard of this time of year, fire officials are alarmed by what they've seen so far — not just fires breaking out in densely vegetated areas but dozens of homes burning down as a result.  Inside Bay Area 5/24/08

 

Immigration:

 

Tougher Border Enforcement, and More Corruption -- A pattern has become familiar on the California-Mexico border: Customs officers wave in vehicles filled with illegal immigrants, drugs or other contraband. A Border Patrol agent acts as a scout for smugglers. Trusted officers fall prey to temptation and begin taking bribes. Increased corruption is linked, in part, to tougher enforcement, driving smugglers to recruit federal employees as accomplices. NY Times 5/27/08

 

Agriculture:

 

*Lofty Prices for Fertilizer Put Farmers in a Squeeze -- Fertilizer prices are rising faster than those of almost any other raw material used by farmers. In April, farmers paid 65% more for fertilizer than they did a year earlier, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That compares with price increases of 43% for fuel, 30% for seeds and 3.8% for chemicals such as weedkillers and insecticides over the same period, according to Agriculture Department indexes. Those skyrocketing costs are making it harder for farmers to expand their harvests in response to the global food crisis that has sparked rioting, rationing and export controls in many countries. Wall Street Journal 5/27/08

 

Farmer recalls eminent-domain fight -- Bob Brocchini of Brocchini Family Farms recalled battling the city of Stockton for much of the 1990s over land next to the former Austin Road landfill. He spent all the money he received for the 95-acre property and more on legal and court costs. And what he was paid amounted to just one-third of a private offer he had on the land, but that was withdrawn once the city announced its intent to acquire the farmland through eminent domain. Stockton Record 5/26/08

 

Salmon:

 

Salmon resurgence in Butte County – Butte Creek now holds the largest population of wild spring-run chinook, or king salmon, in the Sacramento River system. The number of spawning fish returning from the ocean to Butte Creek increased 10 percent from 2006 to 2007. But the most dramatic resurgence occurred over the past 10 years, when an average of almost 10,000 salmon a year swam back up the creek, according to Harthorn, who co-founded Friends of Butte Creek in 1999 after years battling farming interests and Pacific Gas and Electric over its DeSabla-Centerville plant. SF Chronicle 5/26/08

 

 

 

 

Transporation Daily News May 27

Water:

 

Soaring gas prices may sink boating plans -- As prices continue to skyrocket, motorists are not the only ones cringing at the pump. Personal boaters are also feeling the pinch of high fuel prices, and it is keeping some indoors, most closer to home, and has left others to ride with friends. Some have said, though,  drought conditions would have a bigger impact on boating than gas prices. CC Times 5/23/08

 

Boating industry hits economy's troubled seas -- From the lazy byways of the Delta to the shores of Lake Tahoe, a soggy economy and stratospheric fuel prices are hurting Northern California's boating industry. With Memorial Day weekend launching the summer boating season, boat sales are down, and marina operators say they're noticing a drop in business. Sacramento Bee 5/25/08

 

Ports:

 

Investigators find gaps in port security program -- A Department of Homeland Security program to strengthen port security has gaps that terrorists could exploit to smuggle weapons of mass destruction in cargo containers, congressional investigators have found. The report by the Government Accountability Office, being released Tuesday, assesses the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT), a federal program established after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to deter a potential terrorist strike via cargo passing through 326 of the nation's airports, seaports and designated land borders. AP 5/27/08

 

Air travel:

 

Airlines raise fares $60 for round trip -- Airlines ratcheted up the pressure on fliers before the holiday weekend, significantly raising ticket prices to offset runaway fuel costs. The three biggest carriers each boosted most domestic fares by up to $60 round trip, while budget airline AirTran Airways raised its leisure fares by $30 round trip. AP 5/24/08

 

Virgin America grows as rivals cut back -- With the rest of the industry staggering under the burden of rising costs - American Airlines saying this week it will cut domestic capacity by 12 percent and shed jobs in the fourth quarter - here's the view from Burlingame: "I would rather be growing in this environment than shrinking in this environment," said C. David Cush, 48, the president and chief executive officer of Virgin America, who arrived in December after 20 years of senior management experience at American Airlines. SF Chronicle 5/24/08

 

Emissions:

 

San Carlos grapples with emissions -- Adopting a plan to fight climate change is one thing, but agreeing on whether it even exists has proved a tougher challenge for the city council in San Carlos, where one council member recently called global warming "a total lie." At issue was a choice to sign the Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement, which commits a city to the Kyoto Protocol goals of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions to 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012 - or to sign an alternative letter that sets no specific benchmarks and suggests many actions the city may choose to take over time. SJ Mercury 5/26/08

 

Infrastructure:

 

Report shows how millions in Stanislaus road tax might be spent -- A draft environmental document provides clues on dozens of potential street, bridge and traffic signal projects if Stanislaus County voters approve a road tax in November. Some officials representing the county and its nine cities are making good on a February pledge to pinpoint how $700 million from a bump in sales tax would be used in specific transportation projects during the next two decades. Modesto Bee 5/27/08

 

Shipping:

 

Pricey diesel fuel drives up trucking companies' costs -- The trucking companies that make up the American Trucking Associationscan at least buy their fuel wholesale, and they're also in a better position to impose a fuel surcharge to cover their higher costs than truckers who own and operate their own rigs.  As a result, independent drivers are getting slammed by higher diesel costs, said Todd Spencer of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association near Kansas City, Mo.  San Diego Union Tribune 5/24/08

 

 

 

 

Economic Daily News May 27

Economy & Business

 

*FCC chief ready to regulate cell phone cancellation fees -- The head of the Federal Communications Commission says he is open to the idea of government regulating fees charged to cell phone users who cancel their wireless contracts early.  FCC chief Kevin Martin would not say Friday whether he endorses an industry plan to help consumers avoid ``early termination fees'' as proposed earlier this week and described in detail by The Associated Press. But Martin said he supports creation of what he described as a ``national framework'' to regulate such fees.  AP 5/23/08

 

*Home sales post unexpected increase in April but remain near lowest level in 17 years -- The Commerce Department reported Tuesday that sales of new homes rose 3.3 percent in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 526,000 units. But the government revised March activity lower to show an even bigger drop of 11 percent to an annual rate of 509,000, which was the weakest pace for sales since April 1991. Economists believe that new home sales will remain weak for some time as the housing industry struggles with falling prices and rising mortgage foreclosures, which are dumping even more homes on an already glutted market. AP 5/27/08

 

State bolsters firefighting efforts -- Californis is hiring an extra 1,100 seasonal firefighters, commandeering a super-size tanker that can release 12,000 gallons of fire retardant in a single drop, and imploring homeowners to do their part. To pay for the beefed-up firefighting, the governor has proposed a surcharge on homeowner insurance policies - 1.4 percent for homes in disaster-prone zones, 0.75 percent for homes elsewhere - that he says would generate more than $100 million annually. SJ Mercury 5/24/08

 

HOME BUYERS PREFER TO ADD AN EXTRA ROOM -- The cathedral-ceilinged "great room" - a defining feature of big suburban houses for the past 15 years - is losing favor. Owners say these double-height rooms are expensive to heat and cool. Major home builders including say more buyers are looking for the maximum number of rooms and square footage for their money, so they're opting to have a loft, bedroom or playroom built in the air space where the plans call for a double-height ceiling. SJ Mercury 5/27/08

 

Property rights initiatives triggers rent-control clash -- Many residents of California cities that control rent fear a property-rights initiative on the June 3 statewide ballot — and half those cities are in the Bay Area.  Whether renting apartments in downtown Oakland or San Francisco, or mobile homes in Concord or Daly City, thousands of residents embrace caps on their rents in one of the most expensive regions in the nation, say opponents of Proposition 98. CC Times 5/24/08

 

*Rate increases sought for homeowners insurance -- After dropping in recent years, the cost of insuring your home may be about to climb. California's three biggest insurers, covering more than half of insured homes, have requests for rate hikes pending with Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. How Poizner handles the proposed increases could affect his political future. As the only Republican statewide officeholder, he is being touted as his party's best candidate for governor in 2010. LA Times 5/27/08

 

Home Sales Rise in Hard-Hit Areas -- Home sales are rising in some U.S. metropolitan areas where lenders have slashed prices on foreclosed properties. Generally, home sales remain weak. The National Association of Realtors reported last week that sales of previously occupied homes in April were down about 18% from the already depressed year-earlier level. But sales are up sharply in some of the areas hit hardest by foreclosures and falling prices, including Sacramento. Wall Street Journal 5/27/08

 

Economist challenges government data -- Oakland economist John Williams doesn't seem like the kind of guy to pick fights with the government. His Shadow Government Statistics Web site (shadowstats.com) has become a magnet for those convinced that official data put a happy-talk gloss on the nation's economy. The growing popularity of the site, which costs subscribers $175 a year, is testimony to the deep suspicion many Americans harbor about government information as the economy falls into a swoon. SF Chronicle 5/25/08

 

Lenders try to help homeowners in trouble but is it too little, too late? -- Banks are helping a broader array of homeowners struggling with their loan payments, but the sheer number of bad loans is overshadowing their efforts. Experts say lenders and loan servicers are now willing to work with financially strapped borrowers even if they are current on their loans. During the housing boom, banks generally modified home loans only after borrowers missed at least one payment and thus dinged their credit, sources said. One reason banks have changed their tune: record foreclosures. Orange County Register 5/24/08

Relentless rise in oil prices tests economy's resilience -- Only a few weeks ago, prominent policymakers and economists were cheerfully asserting that the U.S. economy would dodge recession and keep chugging forward despite a housing bust, a credit crunch and continuing job losses. But instead of clearing, the skies over the economy have ominously darkened in recent days. The chief reason is oil. And there are signs the nation may have reached an economic tipping point after years of shrugging off the petroleum problem. LA Times 5/24/08

 

Energy & Environment

 

It's no typo: Diesel leaps above $5 -- Prices jumped as much as 16 cents in the South Bay on Friday, punching through the $5 a gallon mark at a growing number of stations. The rise in diesel prices is a stunner for everyone from motorists to home remodelers to grocery store shoppers. Not only is the 6-cent average hike the biggest overnight increase this year, but the impact will ripple throughout the economy. SJ Mercury 5/24/08

 

The cost of gas: How two stations set their prices -- Shipments arrive overnight, whenever a remote sensor tells Sunoco that Kehler's tanks are low. The wholesale increase means Kehler will have to raise his pump prices soon - if he wants a shot at breaking even on gas sales. That decision - the type of pricing dilemma gas station managers face daily - is not as much of a no-brainer as you might think. If a station raises its prices before its competitors, it may lose gasoline sales. But the longer station managers wait - with wholesale prices rising - the more money they lose. AP 5/23/08

 

*Supply-demand imbalance boosts oil prices -- Even as the cost of crude oil has soared in recent years, the amount pumped from the ground hasn't.  Worldwide oil production has barely budged, despite record prices. Since the start of 2004, oil's price has gone from $33 per barrel to $132. Production, meanwhile, has risen just 1.8 percent, to 84.6 million barrels per day. Faced with rising global demand and record prices, the oil companies have a powerful incentive to find, pump and sell as much crude as they can. Instead, they're having a hard time keeping their output level, much less expanding it. Stagnant production over the past few years makes some wonder whether the dreaded moment of "peak oil" has arrived. SF Chronicle 5/27/08

 

Toyota revs up hybrid vehicle production -- Toyota is preparing to rev up production of hybrids, announcing Tuesday its third plant in Japan for producing batteries that are key components for the "green" cars. LA Times 5/27/08

 

Innovative recycling lands house on tour -- Michele Brown, tour program manager for Build It Green, said the Richmond house is an example of the creative thinking in green design characteristic of the Bay Area. Build It Green runs two home tours each year throughout the Bay Area. Homes must apply to be on the tour and are inspected to make sure they measure up to the organization's standards. More than 1,000 people are expected to buy tickets to Sunday's 16-home tour. SJ Mercury 5/27/08

 

*Program may stall push for cleaner cars -- An obscure program embraced years ago by the state Air Resources Board threatens to dramatically scale back the number of cleaner-running cars that automakers are required to roll out in California. The board has operated a complex incentive system that rewards automakers with special credits for quickly introducing experimental and costly cars that run on alternative power sources such as fuel cells and electricity. With hundreds of thousands of credits and new limits on their use looming, automakers are expected to cash in soon. Over the next six years, they could be excused from building about 700,000 no-or low-emission vehicles. San Diego Union Tribune 5/26/08

 

Media & Entertainment

 

MP3 players losing muscle -- While still strong, sales have slowed and even begun to decline in some markets. Prices, particularly on the low end, are plunging, typically an indicator of slacking demand. Even the mighty iPod, which revived Apple and once vied with the Mac as the company's most important product line, has seen a marked decline in sales growth and attention. Meanwhile, after years of hype, music-playing cell phones - most notably Apple's iPhone - are starting to gain traction as iPod replacements. SJ Mercury 5/26/08

 

Finance, Budget & Tax

 

Rep. Speier named to finance panel -- U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, known in the California Legislature as an aggressive reformer of the insurance and financial industries, was tapped this week for the House Committee on Financial Services. The committee, chaired by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., tackles issues such as subprime mortgages, shareholders' rights and credit card reform. SJ Mercury 5/24/08

 

Warren Buffett sees U.S. in recession -- Warren Buffett, whose business and investment acumen has made him one of the world's wealthiest men, was quoted in an interview published today as saying the U.S. economy is already in a recession. The 77-year-old chairman and chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. gave the interview while he was in Europe for what he called a "deferred shopping tour," looking for possible acquisitions. LA Times 5/25/08

 

Venture Capital, Technology, & Silicon Valley

 

Conference takes on tech's future -- At this year's "Computers, Freedom and Privacy" conference, which ended Friday, the group's activism focused on composing an open letter to the next president of the United States calling for more thoughtful attention to technology policy.  Among the core issues that kept resurfacing over the four-day conference were government data collection, network neutrality, intellectual property and patents. SJ Mercury 5/24/08

 

*Google, Facebook in stalemate over social data -- Days after Google unveiled Friend Connect, which lets the sites of musicians, political campaigns and others incorporate profile data from several social networks, Facebook began to block the program. Although Google was taking advantage of the same tools that Facebook made available free to other outside developers, Facebook said Google was violating Facebook's restrictions on data sharing. The two sides remain in a stalemate. Business Week 5/23/08

 

Facebook to clear clutter -- Having nearly tripled its audience and added about 20,000 new applications over the past year, Facebook's popular online hangout is about to undergo a housecleaning. Visitors who can't stand the clutter that's been piling up will be glad to see that the site's new look sweeps disparate bits of information into categories marked by tabs at the top of each user's customized home page. SJ Mercury 5/26/08

 

Cable Prices Keep Rising, and Customers Keep Paying -- Cable prices have risen 77 percent since 1996, roughly double the rate of inflation, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this month. The resiliency of cable is all the more remarkable because the Internet was supposed to change all things digital. Technology has led to more choices and lower prices for news and music as well as cellphone and landline minutes — not to mention computers, cameras, music players and phones themselves. Yet here is a rare instance where Silicon Valley has failed to break a traditional media juggernaut. And not for lack of trying.  NY Times 5/24/08

 

Santa Barbara industrialist funds major awards to spark scientific research -- Now 80, Fred Kavli, a retired industrialist is launching what he hopes will be the 21st century's equivalent to the Nobel Prizes. In the process, he's looking to spark a renaissance in basic research in nanoscience, astrophysics and neuroscience, three scientific fields he believes will most help the human race in the future.  And on Wednesday, the winners of the first Kavli Prizes in nanoscience (the study of molecules and atoms), astrophysics (the study of the universe) and neuroscience (the study of the brain) will be announced. The three will receive $1 million each at a September ceremony in Oslo. LA Times 5/27/08

 

 

 

U.S. in Difficult Position Over Japan's Rice Plan

U.S. in Difficult Position Over Japan’s Rice Plan -- Japan is preparing to send at least 220,000 tons of rice to the Philippines, and possibly Africa. The Japanese government says the plan is meant to ease the suffering of poor nations punished by rising rice prices. But critics, including some in Washington, worry that it could set a precedent for Japan to dump foreign rice it was obligated to import but had never wanted. They say that the Japanese plan risks setting off a trade dispute with the United States — and may barely dent the price of rice. NY Times 5/23/08

 

News Update May 23

Forest:

 

*Wildfire in central Calif. starts to slow down -- A day after a mountain wildfire quickly destroyed homes and other structures, firefighters said Friday that changes in the weather were helping them hem in the central California blaze. By dawn, the blaze was 20 percent contained after calmer winds and fog rolled into the mountains overnight. The fire was still growing, but not significantly, said Joe Waterman, a Cal Fire incident commander. AP 5/23/08

 

Agriculture:

 

Rising fertilizer prices causing quite a stink -- Market experts do not see fertilizer prices decreasing in the foreseeable future. Indications are that in recent years prices have doubled and even tripled. The simple answer is that this is the result of increased acreage and the production of ethanol-based crop production in the Midwest and other parts of the country, as well as increased production of major crops on a global basis in India, China and Brazil. Western Farm Press 5/23/08

 

Emissions:

 

*Air district approves $10 million to reduce diesel fumes over west Oakland -- The regional air quality district has approved a $10 million plan to scrub diesel exhaust from trucks at the Port of Oakland to help reduce air pollution affecting West Oakland residents. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District intends to install diesel exhaust filters on as many as 1,000 of the Port's heavy-duty vehicles, the district announced. SJ Mercury 5/23/08

 

West Nile:

 

West Nile combat begins – Washoe, Nevada District Health Department officials have launched efforts to keep the adult mosquito population down as the West Nile season approaches. On Thursday, the Vector Borne Disease Program used a helicopter to apply a chemical that prohibits growth of mosquito larvae into adulthood. Reno Gazette Journal 5/23/08

 

Transporation Daily News May 23

Air travel:

 

Airlines ponder how far they can push customers – Some worry that fares could rise so sharply that they will change the very nature of air travel. Herb Kelleher, the iconic co-founder of Southwest Airlines who stepped down as chairman Wednesday, said flying could become something that only business travelers or the affluent can afford, much as it was in the 1950s and '60s. Other airlines were studying American's new fee, leading some analysts to suggest it was a trial balloon that American might yank back if competitors don't go along. AP 5/23/08

 

United postpones SFO-Guangzhou route -- United Airlines blamed skyrocketing jet fuel prices for its decision Thursday to postpone plans to launch daily nonstop flights from San Francisco International Airport to Guangzhou, a major manufacturing center and port on China's Pearl River. SF Chronicle 5/23/08

 

Public transport:

 

City looks at feasibility of bringing eBART station off-road -- Plans are rolling along to bring an eBART station to Antioch as city leaders look into the possibility of building the transit hub off-road. eBART is a proposed BART extension into East Contra Costa County. Antioch could make the maximum use of property with an off-freeway station and create a transit-oriented development of high-density housing, retail and business, said Victor Carniglia, deputy director of advanced planning. CC Times 5/23/08

 

Infrastructure:

 

Railway Legislation Advances in House -- Legislation boosting funds for the nation's passenger rail system advanced in the House amid concerns over high oil prices, transportation gridlock and global warming. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved a bill that would provide $14.4 billion over five years to bolster Amtrak's finances and encourage states to expand train service. If passed, the proposal would increase annual spending on Amtrak to about $2 billion a year from roughly $1.3 billion. Wall Street Journal 5/23/08

 

Bay Bridge quake retrofit awes engineers – A tour Thursday on the newly built lanes of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge capped a five-day earthquake engineering conference in Sacramento. They reviewed new research, checked out emerging equipment – such as earthquake simulators developed by researchers from the University of California, Davis – and went on field trips. Sacramento Bee 5/23/08

 

High-speed rail:

 

*Bill gives region a chance for high-speed rail -- A twice-delayed ballot measure to finance high-speed rail in California will finally be placed before the voters in November, but two recent developments could make that vote much more important for the Sacramento region. While the original plan made a rail link from Los Angeles to San Francisco the top priority and left Sacramento service for years later, a bill pending in the Legislature would open the door to competing proposals. Sacramento Business Journals 5/23/08

 

Ports:

 

*Port of Oakland looks to investors to upgrade terminals -- Oakland's port has a new strategy to improve its docks and boost revenue: Find deep-pocketed investors willing to foot the bill for what could be millions of dollars worth of upgrades to its shipping terminals. The main attraction for private investors is expectations that cargo shipments through Oakland are expected to increase more than 60 percent in the next nine years to 3.9 million containers, providing a steadily rising revenue stream. East Bay Business Times 5/23/08

 

Emissions:

 

Pollution danger higher than earlier estimated -- Microscopic air pollutants from trucks, cars, power plants and wood burning may pose greater health problems than previously believed, according to state researchers. The new estimates were released Thursday in response to a request from the California Air Resources Board, which was seeking up-to-date research on premature deaths associated with inhaling particles one-thirtieth the width of a strand of hair. SF Chronicle 5/22/08

 

California hands out cash to curb diesel emissions -- Diesel emissions in California could get a big reduction with $221 million new government funding to clean up particulate matter. The state's Air Resources Board approved the cash for projects that are estimated to cut nearly 30,000 tons of diesel pollution. Cleantech 5/23/08

 

 

 

 

Agriculture Daily News May 23

Forest:

 

Along charred road, 'Everything is gone' -- Wind-whipped and brush-fueled, a fierce wildfire devoured a 3,400-acre swath of the Santa Cruz Mountains on Thursday, destroying at least a dozen buildings and forcing more than a thousand residents to flee as an army of firefighters tried to cut off the blaze before it spreads today toward more populated areas. SJ Mercury 5/23/08

 

Preparation paying off for Cal Fire -- Officials at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection suspected it could be an ugly fire season. They brought seasonal firefighters onboard in early May, three weeks earlier than usual, and opened their air bases a full month early, a decision that paid off. SJ Mercury 5/23/08

 

Sen. Feinstein seeks faster response for West Coast wildfires -- U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) wants the Department of Defense to station two C-130H military aircraft at Point Mugu in Ventura County in preparation for the upcoming fire season. The federal government was to have provided California with more sophisticated MAFFS II units for the Air National Guard's newer C-130J planes. But, for technical reasons, that delivery will not be ready for the 2008 fire season. LA Times 5/22/08

 

Immigration:

 

LA welcomes 18,000 new citizens, a city record -- Record crowds of immigrants—more than 18,000 in all—took citizenship oaths here Thursday, a showing credited to rising fees, a heated debate over illegal immigration and one of the brand-new Americans raising their hands. The government administered 468,878 oaths of citizenship in the U.S. from Oct. 1 through April 30, up 35 percent from 348,591 during the same period a year earlier, said Chris Rhatigan, a spokeswoman for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. SJ Mercury 5/23/08

 

Food:

 

Food makers trimming junk from ads -- Motivated by the triple threat of bad publicity, tougher regulation and costly lawsuits, some of the country's biggest food companies have curtailed child-targeted advertising of certain high-calorie products. Inside Bay Area 5/23/08

 

Labor:

 

Just one word for older job-seekers: retail – Statistics from the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan research group based in Washington, show for the first time that those 65 or older and still working in America are statistically most likely to do retail, farming or janitorial work, in that order. Nearly 350,000 men and women 65 or older earn paychecks in the nation's stores, according to a report scheduled for release in June. There has been little solid information about where people beyond the average retirement age of 63 work in greatest numbers, a critical issue especially now as benefits shrink and recession looms. LA Times 5/23/08

 

Salmon:

 

U.S., Canada reach salmon agreement -- The U.S. and Canada have reached a new 10-year agreement aimed at preventing overfishing of salmon off the western coast of Canada and southeast Alaska. Under the proposed change to the existing Pacific Salmon Treaty, the U.S. would give Canada $30 million for its effort to reduce commercial salmon fishing; Alaska would receive about $7 million. Washington would receive about $7 million to improve chinook habitat. LA Times 5/23/08

 

Agriculture:

 

2008 U-pick season opens with a 'Bing" -- Come Saturday, thousands of Bay Area residents will descend upon Pomeroy Farms and dozens of other Brentwood-area orchards and fruit stands for the official opening of the 2008 U-pick season. As local farmers see it, 2008 is shaping up to be a banner harvest for cherries and other tree crops, thanks to a cool but mild winter and relatively little late rain. Cherry season starts first, with peaches, plums, apricots and other fruits and vegetables following quickly behind. According to the county's 2007 Annual Crop Report, 555 tons of cherries were picked in Contra Costa County last year. That number was up from 513 tons in 2006, despite the actual harvested acreage dropping from 364 acres to 297 acres year over year, according to the report. SJ Mercury 5/23/08

Transporation Daily News May 22

Infrastructure:

 

PPIC poll shows big property rights concern but indecision on Props 98, 99 -- The Public Policy Institute of California survey shows that 7 in 10 voters think the government's power of eminent domain needs some kind of reform after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling narrowed property rights in 2005. However, it also found that many voters remain wary of the initiatives. CC Times 5/22/08

 

Emissions:

 

*Senate panel approves California waiver on emissions -- In a showdown with the Bush administration, a Senate committee chaired by Barbara Boxer voted 10-9 Wednesday to approve her bill granting California and 14 other states the authority to enact a stringent tailpipe emissions standard. The bill would overturn the Environmental Protection Agency's decision in December denying California the waiver it sought to adopt limits on greenhouse gas emissions from new vehicles. SJ Mercury 5/21/08

 

*Up to 24,000 deaths a year in California are linked to air pollution -- As many as 24,000 deaths annually in California are linked to chronic exposure to fine particulate pollution, triple the previous official estimate of 8,200, according to research conducted by the California Air Resources Board. The studies have found rates of heart attacks, strokes and other serious disease increase exponentially after exposure to even slightly higher amounts of metal or dust. Californians exposed to high levels of fine particulates had their lives cut short on average by 10 years, the board staff found. LA Times 5/22/08

 

Air quality board to fine Bay Area polluters -- Jumping ahead of state and federal regulators, the Bay Area air quality district became the first in the nation on Wednesday to impose fees on businesses that pump some of the highest levels of carbon dioxide into the air each year. Representatives of local refineries, among the polluters whose bills would run an additional $200,000 each year, argued that the district has no legal authority to levy such fees and that the anticipated greenhouse gas emission inventory would overlap with similar efforts at the state level. SF Chronicle 5/22/08

 

Air travel:

 

*American to charge $15 for first checked bag -- American Airlines will start charging $15 for the first checked bag, cut domestic flights and lay off possibly thousands of workers as it grapples with record-high fuel prices. Washington Times 5/22/08

 

SFO expects holiday travel to jump 5% -- Even as the airline industry is being constricted by spiraling jet fuel prices, San Francisco International Airport said Wednesday it expects its Memorial Day weekend passenger count to jump 5 percent over last year. This refects new carriers that have launched service, largely the three new domestic carriers that set up shop at the airport in 2007 - Virgin America, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue. SF Chronicle 5/22/08

 

Mass-transit:

 

Bus rates spark rally -- AC Transit riders protested outside City Hall and packed the Oakland City Council chamber Wednesday to oppose a package of bus fare increases, focusing their primary energy against a plan to nearly double the cost of monthly youth passes. SJ Mercury 5/22/08

 

 

Agriculture Daily News May 22

Water:

 

*California seawater has improved, pollution survey finds -- Waters off California's coast are cleaner -- and safer for swimmers and surfers -- in dry weather than they've been in years, according to an environmental report released Wednesday. In rainy conditions, however, more than half of Southern California beaches tested fair to poor for traces of fecal bacteria. LA Times 5/22/08

 

E. coli on beaches easy to predict, hard to control -- San Mateo County's coastal beaches and Bayside water play spots received generally healthy ratings in an annual scorecard of California beaches contaminated by fecal bacteria, which can pose a threat to human health. SJ Mercury 5/22/08

 

*New developments urged, or required, to offset impact -- In response to drought, environmental rules restricting water supplies, greater demand from nearby states and the escalating cost of the increasingly precious commodity, water agencies across California are starting to make a dramatic shift in how they review applications for new developments. Some are demanding that future housing tracts and shopping centers will have little or no impact on a region's water supply. San Diego Union Tribune 5/22/08

 

Agriculture:

 

Cheese race is fizzling out -- Experts say predictions that California will soon overtake Wisconsin as the nation's top cheese producer are unlikely to come true. The Golden State and its happy cows gained quickly on Wisconsin in the last decade, but plants in California are maxing out while efforts to boost production in Wisconsin are paying off. LA Times 5/22/08

 

*Feinstein plan to grant legal status to immigrant farmworkers dies in Senate -- A quick parliamentary maneuver late Tuesday night killed California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein's guest worker plan. The plan would have given temporary legal status for five years to 1.35 million illegal immigrant farmworkers, as well as their spouses and children. Sacramento Bee 5/22/08

 

Farm Bill:

 

Senate set to join House on override of farm bill veto -- In a rapid rebuke of President Bush's efforts for fiscal restraint, the House voted to override his veto Wednesday of a $307 billion farm bill, and the Senate was poised to follow suit today. SF Chronicle 5/22/08

 

Lawmakers scramble to fix farm bill mix-up -- Lawmakers scrambled Thursday to fix a clerical error that derailed an effort to override President Bush's veto of a $300 billion farm bill. The House of Representatives voted 316-108 Wednesday to override the president's veto, but shortly after the vote, lawmakers learned that a "not particularly controversial" section of the bill was accidentally omitted from the version that Congress sent to the White House. CNN 5/22/08

 

Health:

 

*Up to 24,000 deaths a year in California are linked to air pollution -- As many as 24,000 deaths annually in California are linked to chronic exposure to fine particulate pollution, triple the previous official estimate of 8,200, according to research conducted by the California Air Resources Board. The studies have found rates of heart attacks, strokes and other serious disease increase exponentially after exposure to even slightly higher amounts of metal or dust. Californians exposed to high levels of fine particulates had their lives cut short on average by 10 years, the board staff found. LA Times 5/22/08

 

Air quality board to fine Bay Area polluters -- Jumping ahead of state and federal regulators, the Bay Area air quality district became the first in the nation on Wednesday to impose fees on businesses that pump some of the highest levels of carbon dioxide into the air each year. Representatives of local refineries, among the polluters whose bills would run an additional $200,000 each year, argued that the district has no legal authority to levy such fees and that the anticipated greenhouse gas emission inventory would overlap with similar efforts at the state level. SF Chronicle 5/22/08

 

Soot blowing through San Joaquin Valley contributes to 3,000 deaths a year, state says -- In a grim announcement Wednesday, state officials said airborne soot prematurely kills up to 3,000 San Joaquin Valley residents each year, nearly triple the previous estimate. Activists said the study is further proof that the state should delay the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District plan, which they say is not nearly aggressive enough. Modesto Bee 5/22/08

 

*California’s farm belt adopts measures to cut air pollution -- Environmentalists say a new plan to clean up the soot-laden air in California’s farm belt would fail to adequately regulate agricultural sources of pollution. California’s farm belt has some of the highest levels of airborne dust, smoke and soot in the country. The district’s governing board voted 8-3 in favor of a plan that could keep families from using their fireplaces for up to 35 days each winter and require local employers to make a portion of their workers car pool. The plan is meant to comply with standards set in 1997 under the federal Clean Air Act. AP 5/22/08

 

 

 

Transporation Daily News May 21

Emissions:

 

*Senate panel votes to overturn EPA on California waiver -- A Senate panel voted narrowly Wednesday to overturn EPA's decision blocking California and more than a dozen other states from limiting greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. The bill by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, passed her committee 10-9.  CC Times 5/21/08

 

Transportation:

 

State legislators in overdrive on motor vehicle laws -- The blitz of existing and proposed laws regulating use of the automobile, symbol of freedom, Californians pounding on their steering wheels. Recent laws have banned computer and cellphone use by teenagers while driving, restricted adult drivers to hands-free cellphones, and barred smoking in cars when minors are present. Some say the safety measures are essential; others say Californians' mobility is at stake. LA Times 5/21/08

 

Drivers shun SUV's and travel closer to home for the holiday -- Changing behavior among consumers of oil could be evident during this weekend's Memorial Day holiday, when people are expected to drive less or travel in groups. The Automobile Club of Southern California predicts about 4.7 million Californians will take driving trips of 50 miles or more over the three-day break, down 0.1 percent from last year. Ventura County Star 5/21/08

 

Mass-transit:

 

Fuel costs prompt talk of AC Transit fare hike -- Skyrocketing fuel costs in the last six months alone have added $5.85 million to AC Transit's annual operating costs, prompting agency administrators to seek a fare increase to help balance the budget. The AC Transit governing board will hold a public hearing this afternoon on the proposal to increase fares, although no vote is expected. SF Chronicle 5/21/08

 

*Public transit advocates make case in state Capitol -- Last year, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature diverted $1.3 billion from booming gasoline tax receipts from public transportation to other uses to help cover a budget shortfall. This year, the shortfall in the $101.8 billion budget is more than $15 billion, and the proposed transit diversion from the governor's May budget revision is being repeated by nearly the same amount. Securing the money is so tough that the advocates' starting point this year is not demanding all of the money that's designated for public transit, but the half that was promised for future years in last year's budget deal. CC Times 5/21/08

 

High-speed rail:

 

High-speed rail separate from fiscal crisis? – Journalist Erik N. Nelson’s transportation blog and California High Speed Rail blog bicker over how California’s fiscal crisis should impact spending for HSR with competing posts, prompted by a letter in the Ventura Star tackling the matter. CASR sites financial problems as a lack of revenue; Nelson counters that the money to build doesn’t come for free. 5/21/08

Agriculture Daily News May 21

Nutrition education:

 

Economics, ecology meet in lunchroom -- Today's children, largely due to poor diet, are the first generation in U.S. history predicted to have shorter life spans than their parents. And while Americans spend less than 10 percent of their household budget on food, we spend more than 17 percent of our national budget on healthcare. Lisa Bennett of the Center for Ecoliteracy cites annual hospital costs related to childhood obesity at $127 million, up from $35 million per year in the 1980s. Effecting change requires a two-pronged approach: 1) Change the food that is served, and 2) Educate children about where their food comes from. CC Times 5/21/08

 

Health:

 

Study finds that California teen birth rate is up -- The study from the Oakland-based Public Health Institute says the number of births to teens increased in 2006 for the first time in 15 years, due to a growing population of teens in the state. The study says the births cost taxpayers $1.7 billion, or $2,493 per baby. California's teen birth rate is still well below the peak of 70.9 births per 1,000 in 1991, and the current national average of 41.9 births per 1,000 teens. CC Times 5/21/08

 

Food:

 

Are commodity traders bidding up food, fuel prices? -- The record-shattering run-up in energy and food prices has put investors who buy and sell such things on the hot seat -- so hot that some in Congress on Tuesday threatened action. A recent Senate hearing was held on whether commodities are being pushed higher by investors' high-stakes bets that prices will keep going up. However, the link between soaring prices and the vast sums of money flowing through commodity markets is controversial and hard to quantify. Economists, traders and regulators routinely dismiss the notion that excessive trading is the culprit instead of traditional market forces such as supply and demand. LA Times 5/21/08

 

Water:

 

*California offers money for ideas to help Delta -- In the new "Delta Knowledge Funding Program" announced this week, the California Department of Water Resources is offering $2 million in grants to nonprofits, universities, private consultants and local government agencies. Individual grants of as much as $250,000 will be awarded to churn new research on water quality, levee stability, habitat restoration and other issues in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Sacramento Bee 5/21/08

 

Heal the Bay's list of most-polluted California beaches -- Here's a list of the most polluted beaches in California, as compiled by the environmental group Heal the Bay on its annual "Beach Report Card." Most are in Southern California. CC Times 5/21/08

 

Bio-fuels:

 

Thieves now swiping cooking oil used in biodiesel fuels -- Restaurants from the Bay Area to Sedgwick, Kan., are reporting thefts of old cooking oil worth thousands of dollars by rustlers who are refining it into barrels of biofuel in backyard stills. In the last three years, the price of soybean oil - the main feedstock for biodiesel made in the United States - has tripled. High prices have encouraged biofuel enthusiasts to make arrangements to purchase waste from restaurants and have even spurred the city of San Francisco to get into the grease-trap-cleaning business. SF Chronicle 5/21/08

 

Agriculture:

 

*USDA bans slaughter of downer cattle -- Mostly banned from slaughter, downer cattle pose an increased risk for mad cow disease and other infections because they typically wallow in feces. Critics say a loophole allowed them in the food supply if the downer was able to pass two veterinary inspections. Daily Bulletin 5/20/08

 

Food group aims to connect county farms, tables – Several "food justice" advocates are working together to change the way food is distributed in San Mateo County. nown as the San Mateo County Food System Alliance, the group has been meeting for more than a year in a barn in Pescadero to discuss the reasons some cities, like East Palo Alto, have no access to fresh vegetables within driving distance while local farmers and fishermen often market their products elsewhere. CC Times 5/21/08

 

Parks and forests:

 

State parks saved from closure in newest state budget -- An unpopular proposal to close 48 state parks is now off the table after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger restored $13.3 million in funding to California State Parks in his revised budget proposal released Wednesday. CC Times 5/21/08

 

Agriculture Daily News May 20

Farm Bill:

 

*Reaching Well Beyond the Farm -- While most of the complaints are directed at Congress for squandering an opportunity to revamp farm subsidies when crops are at record-high prices, the sweeping 673-page bill touches on so many other issues of enormous importance to lawmakers and their constituents, rural and urban alike, that many say it is no longer accurate to call it the “farm bill.” NY Times 5/20/08

 

Health:

 

*State budget to chop dental benefits for poor -- To the dismay of many patients and health care advocates, the governor's budget seeks to eliminate most dental benefits for nearly 3 million poor, disabled and elderly people in California who rely on state-paid dental insurance. A new report released Monday, which analyzed the impact of eliminating most Medi-Cal dental benefits for adults concludes that the budget proposal would cost the state $115 million in matching federal funds and cause far more expensive medical treatment. SF Chronicle 5/20/08

 

State urges people to start gathering, storing medical records on the Web -- Based on a survey of California's major health insurers, the California Department of Insurance is encouraging Golden State consumers to use Web-based personal health records, or PHRs for short. PHRs typically include information on prescriptions, hospitalizations, doctor visits, lab tests, outpatient procedures and family medical history. Sacramento Bee 5/20/08

 

Google offers online medical records service -- Google Inc. made available to the public a free service that allows customers to manage their medical records online and get health information, the Mountain View Internet company said Monday. Google Health (www.google.com/health) allows users to create an electronic health profile that stores their medical information and get relevant health information. The service also gives people the option of sharing their records with doctors and other providers. SF Chronicle 5/20/08

 

Bio-fuels:

 

*Pacific Ethanol's booming sales delight Wall Street -- Pacific Ethanol Inc. hasn't had much to cheer about lately, but the Sacramento company's better-than-expected first-quarter results absolutely dazzled Wall Street on Monday. Fueled by a big run-up in sales volume, the company earned 6 cents a share on continuing operations. Yet the quarterly results still showed signs of problems; the company showed a bottom-line loss of $35.2 million during the quarter, or 90 cents a share. That compared with last year's profit of $3 million, or 5 cents. Sacramento Bee 5/20/08

 

Fuel crops 'pose invasion risk' -- Nations should avoid planting biofuel crops that have a high risk of becoming invasive species, a report warns. A study by the Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP) said only a few countries have systems in place to assess the risk or contain an outbreak. BBC 5/20/08

 

Agriculture:

 

Future of farming: Local, organic, home delivered -- Barsotti, 27, runs Capay Fruits and Vegetables, fast becoming a miniconglomerate in the world of natural foods. In addition to traditional wholesale relationships and a retail store in the San Francisco Ferry Building, the farm delivers boxes of fresh produce door-to-door to homes and office from Sacramento to San Francisco and San Jose. Sacramento Bee 5/20/08

 

New bill could ease farm stand restrictions -- If passed into law, the measure would let farmers not only sell their produce but dried fruit, processed nuts, jams and jellies. It also allows the sale of bottled water and soft drinks. Central Valley Business Times 5/19/08

 

*USDA Seeks Rule to Ban Slaughter of All Non-Ambulatory Animals -- Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer announced Tuesday morning that USDA is in the process of drafting an "expedited final rule" that would ban the slaughter of any non-ambulatory animal. The rule won't be published for some months, USDA officials said. It would remove a loophole in existing regulations that allows USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service veterinarians to re-inspect, and allow slaughter, of otherwise healthy animals that go down after the initial ante-mortem inspection at slaughter plants. Farm Futures 5/20/08

 

Forests and parks:

 

$1.2 billion needed for park repairs -- California's 278-park system has made the 2008 list of America's most endangered historic places - thanks to years of under-funding that have left the facilities in shabby and desperate conditions, according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Daily News 5/20/08

 

Food and wine:

 

California Green and Organic Purchasing Strong Despite Rising Prices -- A recent market research survey showed that Californians are placing a priority on buying green and 2 in 3 or more are using a variety of money saving strategies to offset higher food and energy prices, including coupons, stocking up on sales and cooking meals at home to stretch their grocery dollars. Even with the faltering economy and rising food and energy prices, about 9 in 10 (87%) consumers reported buying the same (48%) or more (39%) green environmentally friendly products vs. 6 months ago. PR News Wire 5/20/08

 

Transporation Daily News May 20

Emissions:

 

*White House swayed EPA 'no' on air rules -- The head of the Environmental Protection Agency, after meeting with White House officials, reversed his earlier position and denied California's authority to enforce its own controls on tailpipe emissions in December, a U.S. House investigative committee found Monday. In fall 2007, EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson was prepared to follow the unanimous recommendation of his professional staff and grant, at least in part, the state's bid to enact landmark controls designed to cut global-warming pollution from new vehicles by almost 30 percent by 2016. SJ Mercury 5/20/08

 

EPA chief backed state's tough emissions rules -- Environmentalists and California officials said the new revelation shows that politics, rather than science and law, drove the decision. SF Chronicle 5/20/08

 

Air travel:

 

Fliers decry ‘dismal' airline service -- Passengers are more dissatisfied with airlines’ customer service than they have been in years at a time when carriers are charging more and more for tickets and services. An annual survey being released today by the University of Michigan found customers giving airlines the worst grades since 2001, with the industry’s overall scores dropping for the third straight year. AP 5/20/08

 

High-speed rail:

 

Fiona Ma Loves High-Speed Rail – A video from last month’s Ecocity 2008 conference in San Francisco shows Ma as a staunch HSR supporter.  California High-Speed Rail Blog 5/19/08

 

Infrastructure:

 

San Francisco to Host 2008 APTA Rail Conference -- The 2008 Rail Conference and International Rail Rodeo will take place May 31-June 4 in San Francisco, CA. Sponsored by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), the event is North America’s largest and most comprehensive learning experience for the rail industry.  News Release Wire 5/20/08

 

Controversy Rises Over County’s Number One Suicide Spot -- CalTrans embarked on the process of making Cold Springs Bridge - the number one location to commit suicide on the Central Coast – safer in 2005. Nearly three years later, the project is flooded in controversy as the opposing sides debate CalTrans’ plan to install physical suicide prevention barriers on the 45-year-old bridge. Central to the debate over Cold Springs Bridge is whether or not suicide prevention barriers actually save lives. In the Environmental Impact Report released last week, saving lives had been removed from their list of goals.  Daily Nexus 5/20/08

 

Ports:

 

Post-9-11 X-ray snags $22M in fake goods at Port of Oakland – An X-ray portal was put in place to detect radioactive material hidden in containers by terrorists hasn’t found any so far, but did unearth $22M worth of knock-off goods in a shipping container from China. SJ Mercury 5/20/08

 

Mass-transit:

 

AC Transit to get an earful on fare hike ideas -- AC Transit directors are set to hear a piece of the bus-riding public's mind about a proposal to raise bus fares by 25 cents per ride. On Wednesday at 4 p.m., and probably several hours into the evening, the agency's board of directors will hear testimony at Oakland City Hall on a set of four fare-increase proposals that, when first proposed in March, were meant to fill a budget gap of $6 million to $9 million. The proposals would all hike single adult fares from the current $1.75 to $2, but the most significant would also increase youth passes prices by 87 percent, putting them close to what they were before they were deeply discounted seven years ago. CC Times 5/19/08

 

 

 

Transporation Daily News May 19

Infrastructure:

 

*$30B spread thin between projects -- Better Caltrain service, more lanes on U.S. Highway 101 and improved freeway connections may sound like essential upgrades to Peninsula commuters, but a lack of transportation funding is putting many key projects in jeopardy. Only $30 billion in regional funds are available for about 900 Bay Area transportation projects that cost $80 to $90 billion, said the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the regional planning body for Bay Area roads and transit. SF Examiner 5/19/08

 

When cars compete with people for food -- China, India, Argentina and several other countries have raised export restrictions on key crops to ensure food supplies for their consumers. That move has further increased world prices. The United States should retreat from its heavy promotion of corn-based ethanol and allow the markets to settle. The world can produce plenty of crops at reasonable prices for food and feed, if appropriate agricultural investments are made. But it cannot produce enough crops for food, feed and fuel at prices affordable to half of the world's population. SF Chronicle 5/18/08

 

Mass-transportation:

 

With gas at $4 a gallon, trains fill up -- In 12 days, the state Department of Transportation will begin a series of closures on Interstate 5 downtown for repairs, certain to cause congestion and test mass transit. Friday – two days after he proposed another budget that transit officials say underfunds them – the governor suggested Sacramentans hop a bus or train during the I-5 closures, or telecommute and work flextime. To its credit, Caltrans has agreed to funnel up to $500,000 in urgency cash to area transit agencies during the closures. Sacramento Bee 5/19/08

 

*State workers urged to telecommute -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued an executive order Friday calling for state workers in Sacramento to telecommute, take transit or alter their work schedules when feasible to help ease the expected congestion on Interstate 5 during a roadway improvement project. SF Chronicle 5/17/08

 

Shipping:

 

*Long haulers yield to diesel prices -- Truck owners and operators who are fed up with getting 5 miles per gallon are delving into long-ignored subjects such as aerodynamics, cruising speeds and tire efficiency. Engineers and manufacturers are furiously developing fuel-friendly technology. And commercial fleets are using high-tech software to calculate every aspect of their drivers' routes, down to where they should fill up and where they should stop for the night. LA Times 5/17/08

 

Companies aren't rushing to join cross-border trucking program -- The Bush administration launched controversial program last year that allows authorized trucking companies from Mexico and the United States to haul a load from anywhere in one country to anywhere in the other, eliminating the time and cost of transferring loads at the border. But the program has grown more slowly than government officials expected, raising questions about the demand among trucking companies for an open border and providing ammunition for critics. San Diego Union Tribune 5/18/08

 

*California farm product exporters face shipping squeeze -- As the weak dollar makes the fruits of California farms ever more attractive to overseas buyers, big exporters like Sacramento's Blue Diamond Growers are finding it tougher to get their products to far-off customers. The high price of oil and shifts in the global balance of trade have made space on container ships hard to come by. Cargo rates are up sharply. Delays of several months have become routine. A tangle of economic trends, however, has made the journey from Sacramento to Hamburg far less routine than it was just two years ago. Sacramento Bee 5/18/08

 

Tourism:

 

South Lake Tahoe starts to shift its focus -- Gambling is transforming Lake Tahoe again. This time, though, the changes are being driven by ferocious competition from Northern California's Indian casinos. The new Tahoe relies less on gamblers, "day trippers" and budget-motel travelers. Taking their place: fewer but more affluent visitors seeking outdoor recreation and atmosphere and staying in time shares, second homes and upper-end hotels and condos. Sacramento Bee 5/18/08

 

SF hopes for big slice of gay marriage money -- San Francisco's tourist industry is betting that gay marriage will lead to a boon in same-sex wedding and honeymoon packages. Nationally, gay tourism amounts to a $60 billion-a-year industry. Unlike Massachusetts, the only other state with gay nuptials, California doesn't limit marriages to residents of the state - so same-sex couples could pour in from all over. SF Chronicle 5/18/08

 

Water:

 

Hybrid boat waves hello to S.F. Bay -- Green technology came to the blue waters of San Francisco Bay on Friday, when what the manufacturer calls the world's first hybrid recreational boat was introduced to two of California's top resource officers. SF Chronicle 5/17/08

 

Sheriff's office joins shoreline vigilance -- Refineries, chemical plants, bridges and other potential terrorist bull's-eyes dot Contra Costa County's expansive shoreline. In the past six weeks, the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office has joined the effort of guarding these sites. The department debuted its Infrastructure Protection Team, which mans the Harry D. Ramsay, a state-of-the-art 37-foot catamaran. SJ Mercury 5/17/08

 

High-speed rail:

 

*High-speed rail gets a boost from Congress -- The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (HR 6003) would provide $14.4 billion over five years to match state costs for high-speed systems. The Senate passed a similar bill last year. Even better news: The match would be 80% of state investments, the same as federal highway funds. Fresno Bee 5/18/08

 

 

Agriculture Daily News May 19

Agriculture:

 

*Drought, shortages could mean big payoff for state rice growers -- Drought in Australia, food riots in Egypt and a shortage of other food grains such as corn because of the move to ethanol are just a few of the complex global ingredients roiling the global market for rice. These market shifts also may have broader policy implications as some countries rethink their opposition to genetically modified rice and U.S. taxpayers question why they should subsidize corn, wheat and rice at a time of soaring commodity prices. San Diego Union Tribune 5/19/08

 

California farm product exporters face shipping squeeze -- As the weak dollar makes the fruits of California farms ever more attractive to overseas buyers, big exporters like Sacramento's Blue Diamond Growers are finding it tougher to get their products to far-off customers. The high price of oil and shifts in the global balance of trade have made space on container ships hard to come by. Cargo rates are up sharply. Delays of several months have become routine. A tangle of economic trends, however, has made the journey from Sacramento to Hamburg far less routine than it was just two years ago. Sacramento Bee 5/18/08

 

Insurance softens blow for Valley farmers hit by freak freeze -- With a sharp drop in temperatures that lasted just 30 minutes in many locations, the freak freeze on the morning of April 20 destroyed about $300 million in crops, mostly north of the Delta, according to preliminary data from the California Department of Food and Agriculture. But, a growing amount of acreage around the country is covered – with the help of taxpayer subsidies – against the freak weather events that have always made farming risky. n the past decade, federal subsidies have covered nearly half of the $29.6 billion in crop-insurance claims paid to farmers. Sacramento Bee 5/17/08

 

Bush's food crisis aid package now promotes genetically modified crops -- The Bush administration has added a controversial ingredient to the $770-million aid package it recently proposed to ease the world food crisis: language that would promote the use of genetically modified crops in food-deprived countries. LA Times 5/17/08

 

Almond industry votes in new board, first chairwoman -- The newly elected members of the Almond Board of California (ABC) have unanimously voted in Christine Long, of Hilltop Ranch in Merced County, to serve as Chairwoman for 2008-2009, according to a press release issued Tuesday. Red Bluff Daily News 5/17/08

 

Health:

 

Broad failings at agencies overseeing organ transplants -- Prompted by serious lapses at three California organ transplant programs, federal inspectors have documented broad failings by the agencies that oversee the nation's transplant system and raised doubts about the pace of promised improvements. LA Times 5/19/08

 

*Medi-Cal cut could hurt patient care, East Bay doctors say -- Nearly two-thirds of East Bay doctors who treat Medi-Cal patients say they will scale back or stop seeing such patients entirely when a 10 percent cut in reimbursement rates takes effect July 1. That will make it even tougher for low-income and disabled residents to find a physician willing to treat them, and further erode the health care safety net in the East Bay, patient advocates say. Inside Bay Area 5/17/08

 

Forests:

 

Firefighting aircraft won't be ready in '08 -- U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein recently learned that two California Air National Guard C-130 aircraft won't be ready this year because of lingering equipment issues. U.S. Forest Service officials had promised the planes would be outfitted with the new equipment in July. San Diego Union Tribune 5/19/08

 

Bio-fuels:

 

When cars compete with people for food -- China, India, Argentina and several other countries have raised export restrictions on key crops to ensure food supplies for their consumers. That move has further increased world prices. The United States should retreat from its heavy promotion of corn-based ethanol and allow the markets to settle. The world can produce plenty of crops at reasonable prices for food and feed, if appropriate agricultural investments are made. But it cannot produce enough crops for food, feed and fuel at prices affordable to half of the world's population. SF Chronicle 5/18/08

 

Water:

 

*East County water adequate for summer – Despite rationing in a number of east bay cities, Contra Costa Water District's water comes from the Delta and its watershed in Mount Shasta. Those sources have more storage capacity than those used by neighboring water suppliers. East County cities are asking that residents try to conserve water this summer but no rationing is expected. SJ Mercury 5/17/08

 

Hybrid boat waves hello to S.F. Bay -- Green technology came to the blue waters of San Francisco Bay on Friday, when what the manufacturer calls the world's first hybrid recreational boat was introduced to two of California's top resource officers. SF Chronicle 5/17/08

 

Simple system stores rainwater for use around the home -- Lenney's Rocklin-based business makes a system to capture and store rainwater. Installing a similar device makes more sense to consumers as the Sierra snowpack is below average and state officials said April and May were the driest spring on record. Sacramento Bee 5/17/08

 

Food and wine:

 

*Napa wine pioneer Robert Mondavi dead at 94 -- Robert Mondavi, the charismatic Napa Valley vintner whose work helped establish California wines as among the world's best, died Friday morning. He was 94. Mr. Mondavi was relentless in his drive to make wines that could compete with the finest in the world. His winery, established in 1966 when Mr. Mondavi was 53, became a symbol not only of California's emergence as a wine powerhouse but of the lifestyle that Mondavi embodied - one that placed wine in context with good food and a culture of hospitality. SF Chronicle 5/17/08

 

Wine lovers' shipping frustrations could grow -- The frustrations of wine lovers over being unable to receive shipments from out of state may only grow in coming months following a recent Supreme Court decision and the lobbying efforts of wholesalers who are urging state officials to tighten enforcement of direct shipping laws. The February court ruling struck down parts of a Maine law regarding tobacco shipments that required common carriers such as FedEx, UPS and DHL to verify the recipient's age when delivering packages. The court said only the federal government can regulate motor carrier services. The ruling could have implications, at least politically, for proponents of direct shipments of wine and spirits because of concerns the alcohol could land in the hands of minors. Pittsburg Post Gazette 5/19/08

Agriculture Daily News May 16

Salmon:

 

Democrats bash feds over salmon collapse -- West Coast Democrats amassed Thursday at a House hearing on the collapse of salmon stocks. Brimming with anger, they pointed fingers at federal fishery officials for writing scientific reports that let it happen. Common to three river systems are NMFS biological opinions rejected by federal courts for failing to use the best available science or otherwise failing to look broadly at the health of the fish in deciding the impacts of diverting river water for farming. Sacramento Bee 5/16/08

 

Health:

 

Budget protesters surround Capitol -- Students protested Thursday on one side of the Capitol against $3 billion in public school funding cuts, while demonstrators on the other side attacked broader, deeper slashes in health and human services programs. Part of the controversy, which sparked the second rally Thursday, stems from the governor's proposal to trim another $627 million from health and human service programs, which he'd already slashed by $2.9 billion in his January spending plan. CC Times 5/16/08

 

Kaiser, Health Net to reinstate some policies -- Two health insurers - Kaiser Permanente and Health Net - agreed Thursday to reinstate policies for members who were stripped of their coverage after they incurred medical expenses. Thursday's actions were part of an investigation by state regulators into the controversial insurance practice of retroactively canceling, or rescinding, health coverage.

 

State senate bill would ban suspect plastic -- California's Senate passed a bill Thursday that would prevent the sale of plastic baby bottles, training cups and formula cans if they contain detectable levels of an estrogen-like chemical suspected of disrupting normal human growth. If the measure becomes law, California would be the first state in the nation to ban the plastics ingredient bisphenol A in any consumer product. SF Chronicle 5/16/08

 

Food:

 

*Shoppers feeling squeeze buy a little at a time – Shoppers are feeling so pinched by the sagging economy that they are embracing a new behavior: buying a little at a time. From meat to mustard, consumers are trying to control their food bills by buying smaller-size items as they grapple with soaring prices. Companies have taken note, experimenting with different measures like 3/4 gallon milk jugs and pies that have shrunk to 6 inches. AP 5/15/08

 

Farm Bill:

 

*Western farm leaders high-five Congressional farm bill passage with specialty crop funding -- The Western Growers Association (WGA) based in Irvine, Calif. praised Congressional approval of the farm bill including the highly sought specialty crop language. WGA members grow, pack, and ship 90 percent of the fresh fruits, nuts and vegetables grown in California.  The Fresno, Calif.-based California Grape and Tree Fruit League is also pleased with Congress’ approval of the farm legislation. Western Farm Press 5/16/08

 

Veto-proof farm spending bill passes Senate -- The Senate passed the $290 billion, five-year farm bill by a strong veto-proof margin Thursday, ensuring that the measure becomes law despite President Bush's threatened veto, which would be the first presidential veto of a farm bill since Dwight Eisenhower's in 1956.  Feinstein said she does not support the $2.5 million annual income limit the bill sets for cutting off crop subsidies to farm couples but that the bill was supported by all agriculture groups in California. SF Chronicle 5/16/08

 

Forests and parks:

 

State parks saved from closure in newest state budget -- An unpopular proposal to close 48 state parks is now off the table after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger restored $13.3 million in funding to California State Parks in his revised budget proposal released Wednesday. The governor's proposal calls for an $11.8 million infusion to California State Parks from the state's general fund in the 2008-2009 fiscal year. It also requires the parks department to raise $1.5 million in annual visitor and concessionaire fees. Inside Bay Area 5/16/08

 

Parks officials are scrambling to ensure funding -- From imposing parking fees at Carlsbad State Beach to promoting a bed and breakfast hotel in Old Town San Diego, California parks officials are moving aggressively to raise revenues and avoid the threat of closures and lifeguard layoffs. With lawmakers sharply critical of the governor's broader plan to close a staggering deficit, there is no guarantee that the parks budget will escape further cuts this summer. San Diego Union Tribune 5/16/08

 

Bio-fuels:

 

Airbus, Honeywell team up on biofuel for commercial jets -- Planemaker Airbus and diversified manufacturer Honeywell International Inc. on Thursday said they are developing a biofuel that by 2030 could satisfy nearly a third of the worldwide demand from commercial aircraft, without affecting food supplies. Along with JetBlue Airways Corp. and International Aero Engines, they plan to produce fuel from vegetation- and algae-based oils that do not compete with existing food production or land and water resources. SF Chronicle 5/16/08

Transporation Daily News May 16

Infrastructure:

 

Bay Area traffic delays near dot-com boom levels -- Traffic delays along several of the Bay Area's most congested freeway corridors was up in 2007 as hours wasted in the car kept pace with job growth, according to a report released Wednesday. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Caltrans report shows that the region experienced 161,700 vehicle hours of delay during the morning and afternoon commute periods on an average weekday during 2007 -- second only to the 177,600 hours recorded in 2000 at the height of the dot-com boom. Bizjournals 5/15/08

 

Bike to Work event meets record-setting heat -- Exactly how many Bay Area commuters hopped on their bikes is unknown for yesterday’s Bike to Work Day, but the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency counted cars and bicycles heading east on Market Street at Van Ness Avenue and found that cyclists accounted for nearly two-thirds of the traffic. Between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., the survey logged 812 bicycles and 403 cars. Organizers attributed increase in participation over years prior to area gas prices surpassing $4 a gallon along with ever-increasing concern over emissions from cars and trucks that cause global warming. SF Chronicle 5/16/08

 

High-speed rail:

 

"Air Quality is the Key" to the Central Valley's Future -- In contrast to Southern California and Bay Area HSR critics like Martin Engel, the Central Valley is very strongly supportive of the project. Central Valley politicians like Cathleen Galgiani have helped provide leadership at the state level, and Rep. Jim Costa (D-Fresno) has been a strong advocate of HSR, helping create the project when he was in the state legislature and helping build support for it in Congress. California High Speed Rail Blog 5/15/08

 

Tourism:

 

Canadian Gay community applauds California's embrace of same-sex marriage but fears economic effect -- When the court's ruling takes effect in 30 days, Toronto's same-sex wedding industry will face a new challenge from the Golden State: Gay and lesbian couples from any place in the U.S. will be able to wed anywhere from San Diego to San Francisco. This could stem the tide of visitors seeking same-sex marriages in Canada and shift that tourist money to California. Toronto Star 5/16/08

 

Bay Area Emergency Response:

 

*Grand jury calls on county to prepare for the worst -- The Napa County Grand Jury called on the Napa County Office of Emergency Services this week to better prepare for a Bay Area emergency, guessing that Napa County would likely be a haven for urban disaster refugees. The grand jury report suggested that following potential large-scale emergencies in heavily populated areas of the Bay Area, Napa County would likely become a “lifeboat” for disaster refugees. Napa Valley Register 5/16/08

 

*FEDERAL OIL SPILL PREVENTION BILL PASSES SENATE COMMITTEE -- One of a few federal bills intended to buoy the U.S. Coast Guard's emergency management authority and avert catastrophic oil spills like the one in San Francisco Bay in November passed a Congressional committee Thursday. The Oil Spill Prevention Act, a bill cosponsored by U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., passed the Senate's Commerce Committee and will now be considered by the full Senate, Boxer's office reported. The bill, which was introduced by Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., would require protective double hulls around the fuel tanks of newly built non-tanker ships with a capacity of at least 600 cubic meters of fuel. CBS 5 5/16/08

 

U.S. Issues Strategy to Prevent Small Boat Terrorist Attacks -- The Bush Administration wants to enlist America’s 80 million recreational boaters to help reduce the chances that a small boat could deliver a nuclear or radiological bomb somewhere along the 95,000 miles of U.S. coastline and inland waterways. On April 28, officials released the plan, which asks states to develop and enforce safety standards for recreational boaters and asks them to look for and report suspicious behavior on the water — much like a neighborhood watch program. The Log 5/15/08

 

Mass transport:

 

Caltrans to continue suicide barrier project -- Public debate continued Thursday over plans for a suicide barrier atop the Cold Springs Arch Bridge on scenic Highway 154, but a Caltrans official made it clear the agency intends to proceed with the controversial project. Lompoc Record 5/16/08

 

Ports and shipping:

 

*Port of Oakland fights trucking industry over driver status -- Port officials are considering whether to require that truck companies hire drivers rather than employ them as independent contractors. Trucking industry officials threatened to go to court to block mandates that truck companies hire drivers. The American Trucking Association said it is preparing a lawsuit against the Port of Los Angeles, the nation's busiest, which recently adopted a plan calling for truck drivers to be employees. Bizjournals 5/16/08

 

Air travel:

 

Airbus, Honeywell team up on biofuel for commercial jets -- Planemaker Airbus and diversified manufacturer Honeywell International Inc. on Thursday said they are developing a biofuel that by 2030 could satisfy nearly a third of the worldwide demand from commercial aircraft, without affecting food supplies. Along with JetBlue Airways Corp. and International Aero Engines, they plan to produce fuel from vegetation- and algae-based oils that do not compete with existing food production or land and water resources. SF Chronicle 5/16/08

 

Transporation Daily News May 15

Infrastructure:

 

Transbay Joint Powers Authority Board Awards Contract to Pelli Clarke Pelli -- The Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA) Board of Directors today unanimously approved a professional services agreement with Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects to design the new landmark Transbay Transit Center in downtown San Francisco. Business Wire 5/15/08

 

Water:

 

Rusting Mothball Fleet Polluting NorCal Waters -- More than seventy ships that once served our country are now just rusting away, polluting Northern California waterways. Everyone agrees that's a problem, but is the plan to dismantle them dead in the water? Some fishermen in the waters surrounding the fleet worry that the pollution could be working its way into fisheries and up the food chain. CBS 5 5/14/08

 

Carquinez fuel minor, but crewman nixes 2nd breath test -- A gasoline spill at a refinery wharf has been downgraded to a few gallons, but the chief of the tugboat that hit the structure has refused additional alcohol testing, the Coast Guard said today. Only five to 10 gallons of gasoline spilled into the Carquinez Strait today after a tugboat crashed into a Martinez refinery wharf, according to the Calfiornia Department of Fish & Game. SJ Mercury 5/14/08

 

Mass transportation:

 

*Bay Area traffic bottleneck report is mixed -- Bay Area traffic congestion got better - and worse - in 2007, according to an annual report released Wednesday morning by state and regional transportation officials. The annual congestion report, prepared by Caltrans and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, found that traffic delays on some of the Bay Area's most backed-up freeways decreased last year, but regionwide congestion reached the highest level since 2000. SF Chronicle 5/15/08

 

Traffic congestion at eight-year high -- Traffic congestion on Bay Area freeways in 2007 hit its highest level since peaking in 2000, transportation officials announced Wednesday, but tie-ups diminished on some of the area's busiest corridors. Motorists on the region's freeways collectively endured 161,700 average weekday hours of delay during morning and afternoon commutes. That number was exceeded only during the dot-com boom at the beginning of the decade, when there was 177,600 hours of delay. SJ Mercury 5/14/08

 

*Transportation budget will hit public transit -- The governor's plan calls for spending $13.8 billion on transportation next fiscal year - a decrease of less than 1 percent from his January budget. But the latest plan would take $1.4 billion from gasoline and diesel fuel sales tax revenue that ordinarily would go to public transportation and put it in the general fund. SF Chronicle 5/15/08

 

Emissions:

 

*Effort to cut diesel pollution -- The governor's revised proposal is a one-time transaction that would take $48.7 million from the Air Quality Improvement Fund to help refit heavy equipment and vehicles that pollute heavily. SF Chronicle 5/15/08

Agriculture Daily News May 15

Agriculture:

 

Agriculture Community and Public Invited to Share in a California Agricultural Vision -- The California State Board of Food and Agriculture and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) today launched a series of listening sessions that will provide a forum for the agriculture industry and public to provide input into California’s strategic agricultural vision planning. Imperial Valley News 5/15/08

 

Study: U.S. Honey Bee Deaths Increased over Last Year -- survey of bee health released Tuesday revealed a grim picture, with 36.1 percent of the United States' commercially managed hives lost since last year. Last year's survey commissioned by the Apiary Inspectors of America found losses of about 32 percent. MN Weekly 5/15/08

 

Forests and Parks:

 

Advocates 'ecstatic' that Benicia's state parks will stay open -- Originally on the chopping block with 46 other state parks, the Benicia Capitol State Historic Park and the State Recreation Area were slated for possible closure as part of $14.5 billion in budget cuts proposed in January. Schwarzenegger's $144.3 billion state budget revision removed the parks from earlier proposed cuts. CC Times 5/14/08

 

*Reversal on parks cuts -- The governor's budget would reverse a proposal made in January to dismiss employees and close 48 parks and beaches, including nine in the Bay Area. The plan now is to cut $1.5 million out of the parks budget and make that up by raising entrance fees a maximum of $2. Revenue also could be raised through cabin rentals and fees at new campgrounds. SF Chronicle 5/15/08

 

*Court blocks Bush's plan for logging in Sierra -- A federal appeals court blocked the Bush administration's plans Wednesday for logging three tracts in the northern Sierra and said the government has failed to justify a critical element in its plan for the forests: selling trees to lumber companies to pay for removing brush that increases the threat of fire. SF Chronicle 5/15/08

 

Farm Bill:

 

Produce farmers cheer farm bill -- Money for traditional commodity subsidies, food stamps and other programs in the $290 billion bill still dwarfs spending on specialty crops _ fruits, vegetables, nuts and nursery products, which together account for about half the country's crop value. Nonetheless fruit and vegetable producers and their allies said they had made an important advance. The bill would spend more than $1 billion directly on specialty crops through grants and other programs, while hundreds of millions more would go for related programs, such as a $1 billion fresh fruit and vegetable snack program for schools. AP 5/14/08

 

House passes farm bill by large margin -- The House on Wednesday emphatically approved a massive five-year farm bill by a veto-proof margin. Brushing off President Bush's opposition, many Republicans joined a majority of Democrats in approving the farm bill 318-106. This is well over the two-thirds vote needed to override Bush's promised veto. The Senate is expected to approve the legislation by a similarly commanding margin as early as this morning. McClatchy Newspapers 5/15/08

 

*House passes farm bill by veto-proof margin -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi marshaled a 318-vote, veto-proof majority to pass a $290 billion farm bill that will lock in the nation's food policy for five years while granting $3 billion in first-ever money to support California fruits and vegetables. The bill, expected to pass the Senate today, also by a veto-proof margin, includes as much as $40 billion in subsidies to commodity farmers who already enjoy record prices. SF Chronicle 5/15/08

 

*Defying President Bush, Senate Passes Farm Bill -- The Senate voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to approve a five-year, $307 billion farm bill, sending it to President Bush for what is expected to be his futile veto. NY Times 5/15/08

 

*How California benefits in farm bill -- The bill includes $466 million over 10 years for block grants to help states research and promote specialty crops, which include fruits, vegetables, nuts, dried fruits and flowers. California will end up with more funding than other states. California's rice, wheat, cotton and corn growers harvested some $435 million in commodity payments in 2006, according to data collected by the Environmental Working Group. By and large, the new farm bill retains these existing commodity programs. The Agriculture Department's existing Environmental Quality Incentive Program will include $150 million to assist farmers in regions with serious air pollution. Sacramento Bee 5/15/08

 

Water:

 

EBMUD adopts water-rationing rules -- Faced with mandatory rationing by the East Bay Municipal Utility District, thousands of customers in Alameda and Contra Costa counties Wednesday began contemplating a long, hot summer of restricted water use. The utility is asking residents to cut back 19 percent or possibly face fines, surcharges and water service shut-offs. SF Chronicle 5/15/08

 

L.A. prepares massive water-conservation plan -- With vital and often-distant water sources shrinking, Los Angeles officials today will revive a controversial proposal to recycle wastewater as part of a plan to curb usage and move the city toward greater water independence.

 

State to restock poisoned Lake Davis with trout -- Thousands of Eagle Lake trout are in line for new homes Friday in Lake Davis when the California Department of Fish and Game begins to make good on its promise to plant 11 tons of trout in the Plumas County reservoir. Sacramento Bee 5/15/08

 

Health:

 

Democrats want chemical in plastic investigated -- Members of a Senate consumer affairs subcommittee faulted federal agencies for reacting too slowly to concerns that children are exposed to bisphenol A, or BPA, through leaching from such items as water bottles, baby bottles and the linings of food and baby formula cans. LA Times 5/15/08

 

Taking a chance on Calif. Lottery -- Gov. Schwarzenegger on Wednesday proposed to close the state's $15.2 billion budget gap by borrowing against the state lottery and making major cuts to health and social service programs. The cuts to health and social programs could cause some Valley residents to lose state-backed medical coverage, officials said. Fresno Bee 5/14/08

 

*BUDGET CRISIS IN CALIFORNIA -HEALTH CARE -- The budget would cut $1.04 billion from health and human services that were proposed in January's budget for a total reduction of $3.4 billion. Under a $1.1 billion cut to Medi-Cal - which serves 6.6 million people in the state - tens of thousands of poor residents would receive fewer medical services. Nearly 40,000 poor working parents, who now receive comprehensive Medi-Cal coverage, would have their benefits reduced if they earn more than about $12,000 a year for a family of three. SF Chronicle 5/15/08

 

Budget cuts programs for the ailing poor -- The state would keep the $109 million cost-of-living adjustment for federal supplemental security recipients instead of passing the money on to California's 1.3 million poor people who are blind, disabled or elderly. Wages for in-home support service workers who care for 400,000 homebound Californians would be cut, while a cash-assistance program for legal immigrants would be eliminated. Funds to administer county food stamp programs would be trimmed by 10 percent. SF Chronicle 5/15/08

 

CalPERS: No increase in health premiums -- A key CalPERS committee on Wednesday recommended that the massive pension and health fund not raise the cost of PPO premiums for state workers in 2009. In one case, they even proposed decreasing them by 3 percent. Sacramento Bee 5/15/08

Agriculture Daily News May 14

Health:

 

More Americans are taking prescription medications -- For the first time, it appears that more than half of all insured Americans are taking prescription medicines regularly for chronic health problems, a study shows. The most widely used drugs are those to lower high blood pressure and cholesterol — problems often linked to heart disease, obesity and diabetes. AP 5/14/08

 

Parks and forest:

 

*Schwarzenegger to propose lottery borrowing -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday will propose borrowing against future state lottery revenue to help close a $15.2 billion budget deficit in the next fiscal year. The governor will propose raising $15 billion over the next three years by selling bonds based on anticipated lottery revenue. The governor, however, dropped a plan to close 48 state parks and cut back lifeguards at 16 state beaches. Instead, he will propose boosting fees $1 to $2 at some of the most popular state park destinations. SJ Mercury 5/14/08

 

Water:

 

*Water rationing imposed on East Bay -- Water deliveries to 1.3 million East Bay residents will be rationed for the first time since the early 1990s after the East Bay Municipal Utility District board of directors on Tuesday declared an emergency water shortage and prohibited a list a potentially wasteful water practices. Effective immediately, EBMUD customers are prohibited from hosing off sidewalks, washing cars without using shutoff nozzles, irrigating on consecutive days and a host of other items. SJ Mercury 5/13/08

 

East Bay begins water rationing -- Water rationing went into effect Tuesday for East Bay residents after water managers unanimously passed a drought management program aimed at preserving the system's deteriorating water supply. SF Chronicle 5/14/08

 

OFFICIALS ACT TO PROTECT WATERS FROM INVASIVE MUSSEL SPECIES -- Water officials took the unprecedented step Tuesday of banning boating in all Santa Clara County reservoirs - at least until May 23. Citing the need to protect the local water supply from invasive shellfish that have hitchhiked to California on the bottoms of boats, they have barred all watercraft including canoes, kayaks, water bikes, motorboats and fishing boats. SJ Mercury 5/14/08

 

Farm bill:

 

House set to OK $280 billion farm bill -- The House of Representatives on Wednesday will approve a five-year, $280 billion-plus farm bill, accelerating an election-year collision with President Bush. Bush wanted the bill to ban all subsidy payments to farmers with incomes exceeding $200,000. Instead, the bill bans one form of subsidy to farmers with agricultural incomes exceeding $750,000. Mc Clatchy 5/14/08

 

Food and wine:

 

The fearless sushi snob – A 2 1/2-year journey through every sushi bar from Millbrae to Mountain View had transformed me into that most loathsome of creatures: the sushi wonk. After hundreds of lunches in more than five dozen sushi bars, I had become that guy - the one at the bar asking the itamae (chef) if colder ocean temperatures off Japan's west coast might be responsible for the subtle change in the flavor of the seki aji. SJ Mercury 5/14/08

 

Agriculture:

 

New report paints bleak picture for California agriculture – The author worries about farmland being lost to residential development. Paving Paradise: A New Perspective of California Farmland Conversion, a report released late last year by the American Farmland Trust, declares about one-sixth of all land developed since the Gold Rush was lost between 1990 and 2004. Based on findings from the state Department of Farmland Conservation during that 15-year period, an average of about 38,000 acres a year was earmarked for development. Most troubling is that of all the land converted in California, 28 percent was the state’s best farmland. Western Farm Press 5/14/08

 

 

 

Transporation Daily News May 14

Financial crisis:

 

*Schwarzenegger to propose lottery borrowing -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday will propose borrowing against future state lottery revenue to help close a $15.2 billion budget deficit in the next fiscal year. The governor will propose raising $15 billion over the next three years by selling bonds based on anticipated lottery revenue. SJ Mercury 5/14/08

 

Schwarzenegger's ambitious plans blocked by state's budget deficit -- On just about any issue the governor cares about - health care, education, the environment, infrastructure - the state's fiscal crisis is undermining, if not thwarting, the governor's sweeping policy remedies. And by the time the economy improves, Schwarzenegger, who is termed out of office in 2011, may have little time to make up the lost ground. SJ Mercury 5/14/08

 

 

Mass transit:

 

*Proposal would end mayor's transit control -- The mayor of San Francisco would be stripped of control over the city's transit system under a proposed ballot measure that would hand more control to the Board of Supervisors. SF Chronicle 5/14/08

 

*Spare the Air Days won't bring free transit rides -- Thursday may be the first Spare the Air Day of the season, but there will be no free public transit rides that day even if smog reaches unhealthy levels — unlike past years. Changing course in its battle against air pollution, the region's clean air agency has decided to hold just one day of free rides this year and to announce it weeks in advance. The region had two free fare days in 2007 and six days in 2006. SJ Mercury 5/13/08

 

California Public Transit Advocates Urge No Funding Cuts -- Public transportation advocates are focused on the governor and legislature's commitment to allocate 50 percent of the so-called "spillover," a fund for public transit that increases when gas prices rise faster than inflation. With more than 80 percent of other transportation funds dedicated to roads and highways, the spillover has become the largest source of funding for public transit services.  Environmental Newswire 5/13/08

 

The Bike Issue: Behind the pack -- San Francisco still has a higher per-capita rate of bicycle use than any major city in the United States, and that number has been steadily rising in recent years, even as construction of new bike facilities has stalled. It'll take at least another year for city officials to wrap up the environmental studies on the 56 proposed bike projects and get Judge Peter Busch to lift the injunction (see "Stationary biking," 5/16/07). But it's still an open question whether San Francisco's three-year hiatus will be followed by the rapid installation of new bike lanes and other facilities. SF Bay Guardian

 

Firms ride Bike to Work popularity -- On Thursday, tens of thousands of Bay Area workers are expected to participate in the Bay Area Bike to Work Day. A number of Bay Area employers are offering incentives to employees to bike, bus, BART, carpool, walk or even skate to work. SJ Mercury 5/13/08

 

Air Quality District unveils new fleet for Bike-to-Work Day -- It seemed preposterous that the Bay Area's smog control agency was telling its employees not to ride bikes on the job. Insurance wouldn't cover bike accidents on the job. As the East Bay's 15th Bike-to-Work Day dawns Thursday, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District will officially resolve its bicycling quandary. It will unveil its new fleet of bikes and helmets — including a fold-up bike to take on BART during peak hours — to satisfy its insurance company that it has control over bike safety on the job. Inside Bay Area 5/13/08

 

Infrastructure:

 

Railroad Resurgence: Uptick in freight hauling could mean changes for tracks near Truckee -- Before the country’s antiquated railroad infrastructure can consider the coming boost in train traffic, changes must be made to the outdated tracks and tunnels, including the Union Pacific rail line over Donner Summit. The California Transportation Commission is currently working with the Union Pacific Railroad on the Donner Project, a plan to construct 9.3 miles of second main track and to increase tunnel clearances for double-stacked freight trains. Nevada Appeal 5/14/08

 

OFFICIALS ACT TO PROTECT WATERS FROM INVASIVE MUSSEL SPECIES -- Water officials took the unprecedented step Tuesday of banning boating in all Santa Clara County reservoirs - at least until May 23. Citing the need to protect the local water supply from invasive shellfish that have hitchhiked to California on the bottoms of boats, they have barred all watercraft including canoes, kayaks, water bikes, motorboats and fishing boats. SJ Mercury 5/14/08

 

Air travel:

 

U.S. surprises EU with global airline ownership plan -- The United States proposed a deal on Tuesday to sweep away a global "spider's web" of airline ownership rules, taking the EU by surprise as it seeks a transatlantic deal for its airlines to buy their U.S. rivals. U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Transportation Affairs John Byerly said Washington had an open mind on Europe's long-standing demand to ease American restrictions on foreign ownership of U.S. airlines. Reuters 5/14/08

 

High-speed rail:

 

Umberg joins California High Speed Rail Authority's board -- California State Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez recently appointed Thomas Umberg to the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) board.  A litigation partner in the Orange County office of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips L.L.P., Umberg has served three terms in the California legislature, most recently between 2004 and 2006. He was assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles and Orange County, and served in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.  Progressive Railroading 5/13/08

 

If you missed this morning's High-Speed Rail hour on KQED-FM's Forum, you can get an archived version of the show at this link. Judge Quentin Kopp appeared, as well as bay area reporter Erik Nelson, and Lee Harrington. California High Speed Rail Blog 5/12/08

 

California High-Speed Rail Authority Announces New Website with Virtual Trips Throughout the State -- the California High-Speed Rail Authority has developed a virtual tour that offers a sneak peak of what to expect once the first train leaves the station. The new website - complete with virtual trips, travel times, and estimated ticket prices - was launched last week and will be highlighted during the Authority's Board meeting on Wednesday, May 14, at 9:30 a.m. at the Anaheim City Council Chambers. PR Newswire 5/13/08

 

Coast Guard:

 

*Drill will simulate oil spill off local coast -- The command team trained to respond to Northern California oil spills has gathered in Crescent City this week to practice its coordination and response to a mock massive ocean spill. The team includes the U.S. Coast Guard, the California Department of Fish and Game's Office of Spill Prevention and Response and shipping industry officials. Triplicate 5/14/08

 

Small fuel spill occurs north of San Francisco Bay -- A tugboat hit underwater pipes at a refinery located north of San Francisco Bay, spilling 1,500 gallons of fuel into the bay, a spokesman for Tesoro Corp's Golden Eagle Refinery said on Wednesday. The Coast Guard was handling cleanup in waters beneath the Benecia-Martinez Bridge after the tugboat Independence hit inactive Tesoro pipelines used to transfer fuel to ships after midnight, Tesoro spokesman Ken Dami said. Reuters 5/14/08

 

Shipping:

 

*Ocean shipping: Port Tracker report says traffic still lags 2007 pace -- Although traffic at U.S.-based retail container ports is expected to grow at a steady rate this summer, volumes are likely to remain at or below last year’s levels due to ongoing domestic economic troubles, according to the monthly Port Tracker report by the National Retail Federation. Logistics Management 5/13/08

 

 

Transporation Daily News May 13

Air travel:

 

*SFO 'worst case scenario' for Sikhs, report states -- San Francisco International Airport too routinely pulls turbaned Sikhs out of line for a second screening, an act of profiling that does little to combat terrorism, a national civil rights organization says. he Sikh Coalition describes SFO as a "worst case scenario" for Sikh travelers. The coalition says that it found SFO generated 35 percent of all reports of ill treatment of Sikhs from Dec. 1, 2007, to March 31, 2008. Some Bay Area Sikhs are opting to fly in and out of Oakland and San Jose as a result. CC Times 5/12/08

 

*Airlines protest cost, timing of Sacramento airport expansion plan -- Sacramento officials, under pressure to launch a major airport overhaul this summer, have run into a last-minute snag – a mass airline protest over the size and cost of the expansion. At least 11 airlines, including Southwest, the dominant carrier in Sacramento, have sent letters since Friday expressing concerns about the $1.27 billion project. The county is considering doubling airline fees over the next four years to help finance a new terminal and other facilities. Sacramento Bee 5/13/08

 

Public transport:

 

BART to run slower for six to eight weeks -- BART must slow trains between south Hayward and Union City stations for six to eight weeks, in the wake of two electrical fires Saturday that caused millions of dollars in damage to power and train control equipment, transit officials said Monday. The cause of the two electrical fires at a power substation near South Hayward remains under investigation. CC Times 5/12/08

 

Shipping:

 

Lawsuit seeks ruling on bay spill pilot's legal bills -- The insurance company that's paid some of the legal bills for the pilot of a ship that spilled 53,000 gallons of fuel into San Francisco Bay has asked a federal court to decide whether it must continue to do so, now that the case has turned into a criminal matter. SJ Mercury 5/12/08

 

Emissions:

 

*State air board takes aim at diesel pollution -- State air pollution regulators Monday proposed rules that would require the owners of some 300,000 trucks to install soot filters or replace dirty engines. The rules would cost the trucking industry billions of dollars but save thousands of lives, the California Air Resources Board says. A trucking industry representative said she fears the proposal will force many truckers out of business. PE 5/13/08

 

State air chief debates auto engineers on emissions -- The state's chief enforcer of stringent emissions controls defended those rules Monday before a tough crowd of several hundred automotive engineers and industry leaders. Mary Nichols, head of the Air Resources Board, gave a data-laden presentation designed to "dispel some myths" about California's tailpipe standards, which are designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles by 30 percent within eight years. Santa Cruz Sentinel 5/12/08

 

Safety:

 

*Study: Hands-free calling law for drivers could save hundreds of lives -- California's new hands-free cell phone law could save 300 lives a year, a new study indicates. Similar laws in other states already have saved lives, the Public Policy Institute of California reported Monday night. In particular, those laws have helped reduce the number of deaths from accidents that occurred in bad weather, on wet roads or during rush-hour. SJ Mercury 5/13/08

 

Japanese auto parts maker officially opens Central Valley plant -- A $73 million auto parts plant was officially opened in Stockton Monday by Kyoho Manufacturing California. The plant is expected to employ about 250 workers when it is in full operation. Central Valley Business Times 5/13/08

 

 

 

Agriculture Daily News May 13

Water:

 

*East Bay to face water rationing -- The East Bay's largest water utility is expected to impose mandatory water rationing today for the first time in nearly 20 years to conserve depleted water supplies after two droughty years. The 1.3 million customers in the East Bay Municipal Utility District will probably be prohibited from hosing off sidewalks, washing cars with a hose that doesn't have a shutoff nozzle or watering lawns two days in a row, among other measures. CC Times 5/12/08

 

East Bay to face water rationing -- Contra Costa and Alameda county residents would be forced to immediately slash their use of water by nearly 20 percent - and some large-scale users by 30 percent - under the first water-rationing proposal by the East Bay district in nearly two decades. SF Chronicle 5/13/08

 

Hopes rise for keeping Tahoe blue as clouding trend slows -- Scientists who for decades reported that famously clear Lake Tahoe was turning murkier have discovered that its clarity actually has been stabilizing since 2001. Using a new, more sophisticated statistical analysis of environmental data, researchers also determined that a reduced rate of visibility loss in the lake was likely the payoff from decades of erosion control, purchases of environmentally sensitive land and restrictive building rules designed to curb runoff. Sacramento Bee 5/13/08

 

Organic:

 

*Watchdog group files complaint with USDA over Calif. Dairy -- A consumer group says a Merced County farm that supplies organic milk to the nation's largest dairy processor is breaking federal rules on organic production by keeping cows penned instead of letting them roam over pastures. SF Chronicle 5/12/08

 

Consumer group wants tougher enforcement, stricter rules -- The Cornucopia Institute, a farm policy research group, has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture claiming that a California supplier to one of the nation's largest organic labels is skirting the law. Cornucopia has fought this battle before. Last September the group was successful in lobbying USDA to threaten action against Aurora Organic Dairy, a supplier of organic milk to a number of national chain stores. Consumer Affairs 5/13/08

 

Agriculture:

 

Farmers unable to cash in on soaring food prices -- The amount of corn planted in the U.S. is expected to dip this year. The cost of planting some crops is rising as fast as their prices, and sometimes faster, leaving little incentive to increase production of some foods that remain in high demand around the world. Both corn and rice, for example, require more fertilizer to grow and fuel for farmers to tend than other crops. LA Times 5/13/08

 

California farmers sell rice ahead of harvesting -- With the surging global food grain prices, much of the medium-grain rice being planted between the Sutter Butte mountains and California’s Coastal Range has already being sold even though harvest still is months away. The grains are traded on the California Rice Exchange. According to Pat Daddow, head of the California Rice they have sold an ungodly amount of rice, the price has nearly doubled - and this is the crop they’re just beginning to plant. Commodity Online 5/13/08

 

Calif. farm accused of abuse says undercover video staged -- A central California farm is accusing an animal rights group of staging an undercover video that shows its workers mistreating chickens. A statement released Monday by Gemperle Farms claims an activist affiliated with Chicago-based Mercy for Animals coerced Gemperle employees into violating the farm's animal welfare standards. SJ Mercury 5/12/08

 

Locavores get vocal -- Becoming a member of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a convenient way to fulfill a locavore's needs to buy locally and seasonally. The locavore movement emerges as a compelling concept, but actually following all the guidelines presents its challenges. John Silveria, director of Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Association and its almost 50 farmers market in the San Francisco Bay Area, says he's absolutely aware of customers wanting to buy local produce. Inside Bay Area 5/13/08

 

Moth spraying:

 

*Judge blocks spraying in Monterey Peninsula -- A judge ruled Monday that aerial spraying to eradicate an invasive moth in Monterey County may not go forward in populated areas without a full environmental review. Superior Court Judge Robert A. O'Farrell ruled that state officials had not demonstrated there is an emergency that warrants immediate spraying on the Monterey Peninsula and surrounding areas. SJ Mercury 5/12/08

 

Judge halts moth spraying in Monterey County -- State agriculture officials plan to appeal a superior court judge's ruling that halts aerial spraying to eradicate the light brown apple moth in Monterey County until an environmental impact report can be completed. SF Chronicle 5/13/08

 

Secretary Kawamura Comments on Monterey County Court Ruling Regarding Light Brown Apple Moth Eradication Effort View this Press Release 5/12/08

 

Food and wine:

 

First Google chef to open local restaurant -- Non-Googlers will soon get the chance to taste former Google chef Charlie Ayers’ food when he opens the Calafia Cafe and Market a Go Go in Palo Alto's Town and Country Village. Though slated to open this spring, the prepared-foods shop and adjoining cafe with a technology spin will now likely open in November, Ayers said. Inside Bay Area 5/12/08

 

Some wine grape growers turning to dry farming methods –  ‘Dry farming’ is something a few vintners are returning to, driven by factors ranging from concerns over dwindling water supplies, the belief it produces more intensely flavored fruit, or, to forge a link with old traditions. It refers to growing wine grapes without artificial irrigation and is practiced in various parts of the world such as Spain and France, where some regions have laws forbidding use of irrigation. Dry farming in California is unusual, although there is a trend toward using less water. SJ Mercury 5/13/08

 

*Farm Bureau Responds to Governor Schwarzenegger Position on Proposition 98 -- Emphasizing that property rights protection and water development go hand-in-hand, the leader of the state's largest farm organization said today he's disappointed that Gov. Schwarzenegger has decided to oppose the property-protection measure on the June ballot. The California Farm Bureau Federation co-sponsors Proposition 98, the California Property Owners and Farmland Protection Act, which would add needed protection for homes, farms, businesses and churches from abuse of the government property-seizure process known as eminent domain. It also assures fair treatment of property owners when property is seized. Imperial Valley News 5/13/08

 

Salmon:

 

*Farm Bill includes $170M in aid for salmon fisheries -- Legislators have added $170 million to the U.S. Farm Bill to aid families and businesses in California, Oregon and Washington affected by the biggest and most devastating Pacific salmon season closure in American history. The House and Senate are expected to pass the final version of the Farm Bill later this week.  BizJournals 5/13/08

 

400,000 Young Salmon Released Into SF Bay -- The California Department of Fish and Game released an estimated 400,000 young Chinook salmon, called smolts, into the San Francisco Bay on Monday, according to Fish and Game spokesman Harry Morse. A total of about 17 million salmon smolts will be released over a two-month period that began in mid-April, Morse said. CBS 5 5/12/08

 

Health:

 

Energy drinks make caffeine the drug of choice among California youth -- It's not known how much of the $6.2 billion energy drink industry in the United States can be attributed to sales to adolescents and teens. Nevertheless, kids' use of the drinks has concerned school officials and health advocates. San Luis Obispo 5/13/08

 

 

 

Transporation Daily News May 12

Infrastructure:

 

*Golden Gate Bridge toll hike heads for hearing -- On Friday, bridge directors agreed to consider setting a congestion-based toll that would charge an extra dollar to drivers crossing the landmark span during the commute or weekend evening and paying their tolls in cash. Paired with a $1 general toll increase already planned for Sept. 1, that would raise tolls during peak traffic times to $7 for cash payers and either $5.50 or $6 for FasTrak users. The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District board will hold a public hearing on the toll increases June 11, and is scheduled to vote on them on July 11. SF Chronicle 5/9/08

 

Feds in the dark about taking GG Bridge tolls -- Adding an extra dollar to peak-hour commutes across the Golden Gate Bridge is supposed to make the trip faster by discouraging people from crossing at the busiest times. So bridge officials were a little befuddled when, in the days leading up to hatching the new plan, federal transportation wonks weighed in - strongly suggesting that the new toll be $6.50 all day long. SF Chronicle 5/12/08

 

Richmond bridge repair finished under budget -- The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge is whole again after a contractor finished repairing an abutment that was hit by an oil tank barge Jan. 10. Completed Thursday, the repair work came in at about half the $6 million Caltrans engineers had estimated and was finished four weeks sooner than planned. CC Times 5/9/08

 

Calif. ballot measures address property-right concerns – Poposition 98 and its rival on the June 3 ballot, Proposition 99, address the rights of property owners when governments want to seize their land for projects designed to benefit the public. Both initiatives would require governments to pay property owners fair market value if their land is taken. But Proposition 98 is much more restrictive. In addition to its provisions affecting renters, it would greatly limit governments' ability to seize property, even when the intention is to improve blighted downtown business districts. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has criticized Proposition 98, saying its restrictions on the use of eminent domain would undermine the ability of government to build freeways, dams and other public works projects. SJ Mercury 5/9/08

 

Public transportation:

 

*Gas Prices Send Surge of Riders to Mass Transit -- With the price of gas approaching $4 a gallon, more commuters are abandoning their cars and taking the train or bus instead. But meeting the greater demand for mass transit is proving difficult. The cost of fuel and power for public transportation is about three times that of four years ago, and the slowing economy means local sales tax receipts are down, so there is less money available for transit services. NY Times 5/10/08

 

Fallout from BART blaze to last for weeks, agency says -- BART passengers must allow additional time for their commute this morning if they are using one of four BART stations, officials said Sunday. For the next six to eight weeks, only the San Francisco-Fremont line will stop at the Hayward, South Hayward, Union City and Fremont stations. The delays are the result of an early morning electrical fire that caused millions of dollars in damage to the Richmond-Fremont line. CC Times 5/11/08

 

*Public transit adjusts to surge in ridership -- As gasoline prices climb past $4 a gallon commuters are moving to public transportation in huge numbers, breaking records on BART, commuter trains and transbay bus routes. Veteran ACE riders have noticed that it's getting more difficult to find a seat and bicyclists are lamenting overcrowding on the train's onboard bike rack. New BART riders, for example, are finding rush-hour trains more packed than ever, leading the agency to experiment with removing seats on some cars to make more room near the doors for standing riders. CC Times 5/11/08

 

On heels of bankruptcy, Vallejo transportation rates may go up, service down -- Oil's continually rising cost is leading Vallejo transportation officials to push for new ferry and bus fare hikes, reduced service and fuel surcharges.The recommendations, along with likely disgruntled ferry and bus riders, will come before the Vallejo City Council on Tuesday night for a public hearing. Bus and ferry rate increases, following closely behind last summer's hikes, may push Vallejo public transportation costs for residents beyond those of other Bay Area transit systems, a city transportation official said Friday. CC Times 5/11/08

 

Safety:

 

Beefed-up seat belt enforcement begins today -- Starting today, officers statewide are targeting motorists without seat belts in the state's annual "Click It or Ticket" campaign. Not buckling up could cost you between $80 and $91. If you forget to restrain any children in the car, that skyrockets to $401 or as much as $971 for a second offense. CC Times 5/12/08

 

Budget Crisis:

 

New speaker takes over just in time for Calif. budget crunch -- Democrat Karen Bass takes over as Assembly speaker on Tuesday -- just in time for what could be the state budget deadlock to end all budget deadlocks. Bass will find out just how tough her job is likely to be when Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger releases his revised budget proposal and deficit projections Wednesday. KMPH 5/11/08

 

Air travel:

 

High fuel prices narrow advantages of low-fare airlines -- Consumers can't rely as much on discount airlines to keep air fares low. In years past, carriers like Southwest often refused to go along when others increased ticket prices. But with jet fuel costs rocketing, the discounters increasingly are boosting prices, too. Airline fares rose an average of 10.2 percent in March, compared with March 2007, according to the most recent federal data. SJ Mercury 5/10/08

 

Agriculture Daily News May 12

Agriculture:

 

*U.S. farmers benefit from price of rice and high demand -- With the price of rice surging internationally, much of the medium-grain rice being planted between the Sutter Butte mountains and California's Coastal Range has already been sold, even though harvest still is months away. The greater demand and new foreign customers driving the global price increase have been a boon to American farmers, who are welcoming the reprieve after years of shouldering high fuel and fertilizer costs and weak prices for their grain. SJ Mercury 5/12/08

 

Water:

 

*Sacramento prepares for the worst -- massive flooding – After New Orleans, Sacramento is America's most flood-threatened city. A recent state report predicts that the right combination of unlucky weather conditions could put some parts of the city under more than 20 feet of water, causing a $25-billion disaster that would cripple state government and ripple through the California economy. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the federal Bureau of Reclamation have all stepped up prevention efforts since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in 2005. The aim, with the help of nearly $5 billion in state bond money approved in 2006, is to double Sacramento's flood protection over the next decade. LA Times 5/11/08

 

Coastal Waters Getting Cleaner -- Some good news from the government scientists who study pollution in U.S. coastal waters: A newly released 20-year study shows that overall levels of pesticides and industrial chemicals are generally decreasing. The pesticide DDT shows significant decreasing trends around the country, even in Southern California, which had the heaviest concentrations. Courant 5/12/08

 

SF: $8 MILLION GRANT AWARDED FOR DRINKING WATER CONTAMINATION ALERT SYSTEM -- An $8 million federal grant has been awarded for water security and drinking water contamination early detection systems for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission water system. San Francisco was selected for the grant through a process evaluated by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency water quality and homeland security staff. The grant will allow the utilities commission to pilot monitoring, sampling, detection and early warning systems that could serve as a model for other water systems across the nation. CBS 5 5/12/08

 

Bio-fuels:

 

Rise in food prices fuels opponents' anti-ethanol case -- The global rise in food prices is giving political ammunition to opponents of the country's ethanol policy and creating some uncertainty for the burgeoning and heavily subsidized biofuels industry. An informal coalition of oil refiners, environmentalists and food processors is trying to convince lawmakers that increased output of the alternative fuel is inflating food costs by siphoning off corn otherwise fed to livestock and discouraging U.S. farmers from planting wheat, soybeans and other crops. San Diego Union Tribune 5/12/08

 

Regional biofuel proposals scruitinized -- The debate over biofuel production and its impact on world food prices may be raging elsewhere but apparently isn't chilling enthusiasm for it regionally. Two separate projects aimed at developing biofuels and exploring the markets for their use are grabbing attention from Vallejo to Woodland. Vacaville Reporter 5/11/08

 

Labor:

 

*Illegal Farm Workers Get Health Care in Shadows -- For many illegal, central-valley immigrants, particularly indigenous Mexican groups like the Mixtecs, much of their health care is provided by a parallel system of spiritual healers, home remedies and self-medication. Immigrants interviewed said they had faced numerous obstacles to pursuing conventional medical care. Above all, they said, was cost, but other factors included fear of deportation, long waits for treatment in medically underserved areas, and barriers of culture and language. NY Times 5/10/08

 

*Farm labor bill sets up another battle -- Legislative Democrats are again trying to change the way farmworkers organize, setting up another showdown with the agricultural industry. Outgoing Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez said this week he is working on a bill to make it easier for farmworkers to vote to join a union. The legislation would allow farmworkers "to vote for collective bargaining rights in a way that their employer does not influence how they vote," said the Los Angeles Democrat. Sacramento Bee 5/10/08

 

Food:

 

Higher costs of flour, ingredients hit bakeries hard -- Just as consumers are reeling from food sticker shock, countless U.S. businesses that make and distribute the food that ends up in grocery stores and restaurants have been hit hard by soaring ingredient and fuel costs. Some commodities experts predict that wheat production will rebound this year, and the price of wheat futures has receded. Still, the prices for wheat and other foods are expected to remain high. San Diego Union Tribune 5/10/08

 

Salmon:

 

*State panel imposes strict limits on Valley salmon fishing -- Anglers in the Central Valley this year will face the tightest salmon fishing regulations in history after state officials Friday limited the catch to just one stretch of the Sacramento River.The action follows a winter of grim news about Central Valley fall-run chinook, mainstay of the Pacific Coast salmon industry. Biologists expect only about 59,000 chinook to return from the ocean to spawn in Valley rivers, a record low that triggers regulatory action. Meeting in Monterey on Friday, the California Fish and Game Commission added to the protections by sharply limiting recreational fishing on inland rivers. Sacramento Bee 5/10/08

 

Infrastructure:

 

Calif. ballot measures address property-right concerns – Poposition 98 and its rival on the June 3 ballot, Proposition 99, address the rights of property owners when governments want to seize their land for projects designed to benefit the public. Both initiatives would require governments to pay property owners fair market value if their land is taken. But Proposition 98 is much more restrictive. In addition to its provisions affecting renters, it would greatly limit governments' ability to seize property, even when the intention is to improve blighted downtown business districts. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has criticized Proposition 98, saying its restrictions on the use of eminent domain would undermine the ability of government to build freeways, dams and other public works projects. SJ Mercury 5/9/08

 

 

 

 

Transporation Daily News May 9

Public transport:

 

BART to sell youth discount tickets on the Internet -- BART will start selling discount train tickets to teenage students over the Internet this September in an attempt to introduce more young people to public transit. The tickets have been sold for years at many intermediate and high schools, but BART officials said sales were disappointing. SJ Mercury 5/8/08

 

BART Aims for a Smoother Ride -- BART is experimenting with ways to give passengers a more comfortable trip. Assistant General Manager of Operations Paul Overseersays a demonstration project with 20 cars will determine the effectiveness of removing some seats to allow more flow, and create additional space for bikes and luggage.  KCBS 5/8/08

 

Infrastructure:

 

*Golden Gate Bridge unveils peak-hour toll plan -- Drivers crossing the Golden Gate Bridge will pay as much as $7 during the morning and evening commutes and on weekend and holiday afternoons if bridge directors approve a congestion-based toll unveiled Thursday. The district already plans to increase by a dollar its current toll of $5 for those who pay with cash and $4 for those who use FasTrak. The congestion-based toll would add a dollar more during the periods of 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 3 to 7 p.m. on weekends and holidays. SF Chronicle 5/9/08

 

*Despite efforts, Market Street traffic lingers -- More than a decade ago, then-Mayor Willie Brown declared in his state of the city address that private cars should be banned on Market Street to make it a more inviting roadway for buses, bikes and pedestrians.  His plan never materialized, and San Francisco's main thoroughfare remains difficult to navigate. But the failed proposal hasn't stopped planners and community activists from dreaming up schemes to fix the heavily traveled corridor that stretches from the Embarcadero past the Castro. SF Chronicle 5/9/08

 

Air travel:

 

What would 'United Airways' mean for Las Vegas? -- While there are clear-cut winners and losers in the prospective merger between Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines - Atlanta keeps the airline's corporate headquarters, while Minneapolis loses its - the outcome isn't as clear, especially for Las Vegas. The outlook was further muddied last week when it became public that US Airways was considering reducing its hub role in Las Vegas. In Business Las Vegas 5/9/08

 

High-speed rail:

 

ACE train updates designed to draw valley support for high-speed rail -- High-speed rail supporters, having shunned San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties in a contested December routing decision, are trying to mend fences with the promise of faster ACE trains to East Bay stations. The carrot is partially designed to lure valley votes for a $10 billion statewide bond measure in November needed for 220-mph bullet trains from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Modesto Bee 5/7/08

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agriculture Daily News May 9

Ag:

 

Bee prospects generating buzz -- Colony Collapse Disorder, killer of billions of honeybees, isn't likely to affect U.S. crops this year, the American Beekeeping Federation says, pointing to a forecast for a record almond harvest in California. Production of almonds, the ninth-largest U.S. crop by value and the crop that uses the most honeybees for pollination, may reach 662 million kilograms, according to a survey of growers released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That would be the most ever and 5.8 per cent more than last year. Calgary Herald 5/8/08

 

*California crop report -- Barley, oats, wheat, and winter forage harvests continued with some fields drying down across California, according to the USDA/NASS California office. Dryland grain, wheat, and winter forage is being cut for silage and hay. Alfalfa second cutting and baling was underway. Corn planting continued and cotton planting was nearly complete. Rice field preparation and planting continued. Western Farm Press 5/7/08

 

Trader Joe's won't carry Gemperle eggs -- Trader Joe's said Thursday that it will stop carrying eggs from a Central California farm where an animal rights group shot undercover video showing chickens being mistreated by workers. SF Chronicle 5/9/08

 

Moth spraying:

 

Pacifica joins moth spraying opposition -- Pacifica became the latest city last week to take a stand against the aerial spraying of pheromones to control the light brown apple moth amid continuing scientific debate about the safety and effectiveness of the plan. Last week, prompted by worried residents, the Pacifica City Council unanimously passed a resolution opposing the use of pheromones to disrupt the mating patterns of the moth, unless the California Department of Food and Agriculture can show the public the spraying is safe for humans, animals and the environment. CC Times 5/6/08

 

Moth find quarantines Valley -- The California Department of Food and Agriculture announced Monday that 15 square miles of Sonoma Valley along Arnold Drive between Leveroni Road to the south and Madrone Road to the north is under state quarantine after a second light brown apple moth was discovered in the area on April 20. Sonoma News 5/8/08

 

Health:

 

*Central Valley residents poorer and sicker than state average, report says -- Central Valley residents lack doctors and other medical specialists, are more likely to die of diabetes and heart attacks, and face diminished well-being because of poverty, according to a sweeping report released Thursday. Researchers assessed more than two dozen health care indicators and compared the indicators with the state average. The findings were published in "The State of the Great Central Valley: Public Health and Access to Care." Sacramento Bee 5/9/08

 

Cell phones as doctors' tools -- UC Berkeley bioengineer Boris Rubinsky has devised a way to make medical imaging, such as ultrasound, cheap and easy for these remote populations using one of the world's most ubiquitous gadgets: the cell phone. Rubinsky's team built a simple power supply hooked up to 16 electrodes that create a current in the area of the patient that needs to be imaged, and an additional 16 that record the voltage. CC Times 5/8/08

 

Salmon:

 

*Salmon Gone, Fishermen Try to Adapt on a Changing Coast -- With the shutdown this year, a slow year in 2007 and the partial closing in 2006, salmon fishermen in Oregon and California are facing the third straight year of trying to find other ways to make a living in the summer. Some have gotten out of fishing altogether, while others have tried to stretch out the winter crab season or go after typically less reliable and profitable black cod or tuna. While recreational fishing has held relatively steady, the number of commercial salmon boats bringing in significant catches has shrunk. NY Times 5/9/08

 

Farm bill:

 

Bush set to veto $300 billion farm bill -- Administration officials have dashed hopes among farm-state lawmakers from both parties that President Bush will sign a nearly $300 billion farm bill that they finished Thursday. The veto warning sets up an effort by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, joined by many farm-state Republicans, to override a veto and defend government payments to farmers earning record incomes even as food prices soar. SF Chronicle 5/9/08

 

Ag bill could help farmers markets in California -- Farmers markets in cities like Davis could flourish with funding in a new farm bill that's become a mixed bag for California. Other goodies include new pumps and engines that Central Valley growers could buy with federal funds dedicated to improving air quality. And University of California researchers could conduct more organic agriculture studies. Valley students would be served more fruit and vegetable snacks. Sacramento Bee 5/7/08

 

A look at the details of the farm bill -- f it survives a threatened presidential veto, the bill is estimated to cost $286 billion over five years and roughly $600 billion over 10 years. Over the next decade, 73 percent of the funds will go for food stamp and nutrition programs. Trading Markets 5/8/08

 

Water:

 

*Water recycling bill signed into law -- In a move that could save Antioch and Pittsburg millions of dollars, President Bush signed a bill Thursday authorizing federal support for Bay Area cities pursuing the development of new water sources. Under the new law, local water and wastewater agencies will be able to work jointly with the federal government to construct pipelines, treatment facilities and other infrastructure to develop and expand the use of recycled water in the Bay Area. CC Times 5/8/08

 

*State Senate votes to eliminate entity overseeing delta repair -- The state Senate voted Thursday to end California's participation in a joint authority created eight years ago to rescue the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta from collapse and resolve persistent water disputes. The bill, which goes to the Assembly, would disband the California Bay-Delta Authority. The entity includes representatives from six state and six federal agencies and had been charged with implementing the California-Federal Bay-Delta Program to repair the delta. SF Chronicle 5/9/08

 

Big MTBE settlement to benefit California -- Chevron Corp. and other big oil companies have agreed to pay $422 million to settle a major lawsuit over the gasoline additive MTBE, and much of the money will go to plaintiffs in California. The oil companies will pay roughly $78 million to a group of California city governments and water companies that claimed that the chemical had contaminated their wells, or could do so in the future. Among those receiving money are a water company based in San Jose, several water districts in the Sacramento area and the city of Riverside. SF Chronicle 5/9/08

 

Bio-fuels:

 

Vegetable oil fuels cars -- and tax bills -- Dave Eck, a Half Moon Bay mechanic, had attracted a media spotlight with his fleet of vehicles fueled by used fryer grease from a local chowder house. So when Sacramento called, he figured officials wanted advice on promoting alternative fuels. Not at all. The government rang to notify Eck that he was a tax cheat. He was scolded for failing to get a "diesel fuel supplier's license," reporting quarterly how many gallons of grease he burns, and paying a tax on each gallon. LA Times 5/6/08

 

Food:

 

Campbell Soup expands in Dixon -- Campbell Soup Co. will expand its tomato processing facility in Dixon and use more locally-grown produce, the company reported Thursday. The $23 million expansion will increase the plant only 2,400 square feet but boost production by 15 percent with new infrastructure and equipment used to process nine other vegetables for its beverages, soups and sauces, said Stephen Pierce, Solano County spokesman. Inside Bay Area 5/8/08

 

 

Transporation Daily News May 8

Emissions:

 

*Judge orders EPA to hurry on carbon monoxide -- The Bush administration has violated legal deadlines for updating the nation's clean-air standards on carbon monoxide, a federal judge in San Francisco has ruled. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White told the Environmental Protection Agency on Monday to follow a schedule that would allow a full scientific review, public comment and any proposed changes in the standard to take place by May 2011. The EPA had proposed a timetable that would extend through October 2012. SF Chronicle 5/7/08

 

Maritime:

 

Reservoir boating in peril -- With invasive mussels infiltrating California's waterways, proposals are under consideration to temporarily ban boats from Santa Clara County reservoirs or simply inspect each watercraft for the pests that wreak havoc on the environment. Neither the Quagga or Zebra mussels have been found in county reservoirs yet, but local officials don't want to take any chances. SJ Mercury 5/7/08

 

Air travel:

 

*California Senate Passes Airport Land Use Bill -- The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association tells ANN the California state senate passed S.B.1118, a bill aimed at strengthening the state's airport land-use laws. The pilot advocacy group says amendments, inconsistent administration, and rapidly growing pressure for urban development near airports have weakened California laws protecting airports from incompatible development. S.B.1118 would strengthen those laws by requiring all counties with at least one public-use airport to have an airport land-use commission. Aero-news 5/7/08

 

Infrastructure:

 

All aboard! A SLO-SF train is on the way -- A new passenger train route connecting San Luis Obispo County with downtown San Francisco—known as the Coast Daylight—is on track for service within a few years, thanks in part to constant lobbying by local transportation officials. Some $25 million has been allocated from Proposition 1B transit funds to cover the costs of the new route’s required signal improvements and sidings, where passenger trains can wait for freight trains to pass on the single track rail line, according to Pete Rodgers of the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments, SLOCOG. New Times 5/7/08

 

*Professor rips Caltrans over maze rebuild -- Caltrans should have been more concerned about public safety than public relations when it rebuilt the fire-blasted MacArthur Maze a year ago in an unfathomable 17 days, a UC Berkeley civil engineering professor said Wednesday evening. The professor made similar statements during the reconstruction effort, criticizing Caltrans for destroying debris that could help research the collapse, and for not considering a more thorough reconstruction of the damaged portion of the interchange. SF Chronicle 5/8/08

 

Transportation group wants community input at workshop tonight -- The Metropolitan Transportation Commission, which oversees transportation planning in the Bay Area, is holding a workshop tonight about its Transportation 2035 Change in Motion, Regional Transportation Plan. The purpose of the workshop is to introduce a proposed long-range plan and gather public input on the trade-offs among hundreds of proposed projects that include enhancements to Caltrain. SJ Mercury 5/8/08

 

*Disabled residents sue Caltrans -- People with disabilities are suing Caltrans over public sidewalks they control and maintain. They say Caltrans has failed to give the disabled "equal access" to the roadways. Caltrans says that access will cost billions. ABC 7 5/7/08

 

Consumers uninformed about tire efficiency -- Consumers are in the dark about tire efficiency. With no standardized rating available, consumers often unwittingly choose tires that hurt fuel economy. Others who upgrade to oversize rims and low-profile tires - which are known to increase fuel consumption - may not realize the price they're paying. SJ Mercury 5/8/08

 

Coast Guard:

 

'Ball was dropped' in Richmond spill response, police say -- Richmond officials learned of the city's 3,600-gallon toluene spill hours after the first report, and only after federal authorities requested a shelter-in-place order for a nearby neighborhood. Hand crews and vacuum trucks supervised by the U.S. Coast Guard cleaned water and soil along the marshy shore of San Pablo Bay on Tuesday. The Coast Guard expects the cleanup to last all week. SJ Mercury 5/6/08

 

$10 theft cost a $250,000 spill cleanup -- The 3,500-gallon spill of a toxic chemical into San Pablo Bay over the weekend cost an estimated $250,000 to clean up - and it was all for a lousy $10 worth of brass. The thieves who caused the spill of the chemical toluene at Reaction Products in Richmond were after the valves on holding tanks - the latest example of a crime wave involving barely precious metals that yield a few dollars at the recycling yard but can cost taxpayers big bucks. SF Chronicle 5/7/08

 

Agriculture Daily News May 8

Water:

 

*Federal regulators weigh status of longfin smelt in delta -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Tuesday it will review the status of the longfin smelt to determine whether it is a threatened or endangered species. The 4 inch-long fish is native to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Last year it registered its lowest population count in four decades of monitoring. SJ Mercury 5/7/08

 

*Bill reviving the San Joaquin River gets an OK -- Long-stalled legislation to bring life back to the dried-up San Joaquin River and restore its historic salmon run cleared a significant hurdle Wednesday when a U.S. Senate committee gave its approval. The bill passed by the Energy and Natural Resources Committee now joins similar legislation approved by a House committee in November. The legislation would pay for restoring the once-mighty river, which foamed with spawning salmon until it was dammed in 1942. SF Chronicle 5/7/08

 

State water agency says canal could increase water supply -- In its first study of a controversial canal around the Delta in nearly a decade, California's statewide water agency concluded that it might be able to squeeze 20 percent more water out of the beleaguered Delta. The report suggests it can do that while better protecting fish and without substantially worsening water quality. CC Times 5/8/08

 

Richmond spill killed up to 300 fish - delay probed -- A toxic chemical spill Monday at the north end of Richmond apparently killed between 200 and 300 fish in an irrigation canal - and brought an investigation about delays in reporting the spill. SF Chronicle 5/7/08

 

Bio-fuels:

 

*Lawmakers turn up the heat on ethanol in response to rising food prices -- Under pressure to do something about surging food prices, members of Congress are increasingly questioning the government's incentives for corn-based ethanol production, which have been blamed for contributing to the crisis. At hearings Tuesday and Wednesday, a bipartisan chorus in the Senate and House called for rethinking ethanol policy. The corn lobby is pushing back, but even ethanol supporters acknowledge that some tinkering may be needed. LA Times 5/8/08

 

With food costs rising, ethanol benefits now questioned -- In a dramatic reversal, ethanol has shifted from being an object of widespread, bipartisan praise to one of derision, even among some of its past supporters. Despite the change in attitude, a change of course is unlikely. Democratic leaders in Congress appear to have little interest in reversing a pro-ethanol policy they mapped out only last December. And the powerful farm lobby is on the attack. AP 5/7/08

 

Gates reduces his stake in Pacific Ethanol stock -- Bill Gates, whose early investment in Pacific Ethanol Inc. was a big boost for the promising startup, has reduced his stake in the now-struggling Sacramento company. Sacramento Bee 5/8/08

 

Farm Bill:

 

Farm bill negotiators say they have agreement -- Negotiators on a five-year, $300 billion farm bill say they have reached a tentative agreement on the legislation and it will be considered by the House and Senate next week. But the Bush administration has objected to the bill, and the White House says it seems unlikely that Congress will pass farm legislation the president can sign. President Bush has said the bill is "bloated" with farmer subsidies in a time of record crop prices and is too expensive. Forbes 5/8/08

 

Forests:

 

Flame retardant found in peregrine falcon eggs -- The eggs of peregrine falcons living in California's big cities contain some of the highest levels ever found in wildlife of a flame retardant used in consumer products, a new study has found. Studies of peregrine falcon eggs and chicks by state scientists reveal that the birds hunting in San Francisco, Long Beach, Los Angeles and San Diego are ingesting the flame retardant called PBDEs, believed to leach out of foam mattresses, synthetic fabrics, plastic casings of televisions, electronics and other products. SF Chronicle 5/8/08

 

Food and Wine:

 

Tough times may cut sales of high-end wines -- Tough economic times may put the squeeze on sales and profits for high-end wines - those above $15 a bottle - over the next 12 months, according to a report released Tuesday about the West Coast's wine industry. But the overall forecast by the Silicon Valley Bank's Wine Division, which surveyed nearly 500 wineries in California, Oregon and Washington, was largely positive. A weak dollar is expected to benefit local producers, and a balanced wine supply will keep demand high and prices afloat. SF Chronicle 5/7/08

 

Health:

 

Bay Area bids for stem cell bonanza -- California voters who raised $3 billion for stem cell research in 2004 finally will see their tax dollars at work - not yet in the form of diseases cured, but in the rise of vast laboratories built of concrete, glass and steel. The governing board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine is expected to give final approval today to a package of grants that will prompt a construction boom at academic campuses throughout the state. SF Chronicle 5/7/08

 

Ag:

 

Animal rights group video depicts abuse of chickens at egg farms -- An animal rights group released an undercover video on Tuesday showing chickens at a major California egg farm being mistreated by workers and housed in cages so small they can't spread their wings. SF Chronicle 5/7/08

Transporation Daily News May 6

Bay Oil Spill:

 

Judge tries to speed up ship's crew's testimony -- A federal judge Monday moved to accelerate the return home of six Chinese crewmen stranded in San Francisco since last November's oil spill in the Bay, but it appears at least some of them will remain here well into the summer. Federal prosecutors have kept the six crewmen in San Francisco since early December, when they were branded "material witnesses" in the criminal investigation into the Cosco Busan's collision with the Bay Bridge. SJ Mercury 5/6/08

 

Ship crew members - witnesses in oil-spill case - can't leave U.S. -- They are not charged with any wrongdoing in November's collision. Their company continues to pay their salaries until the end of May, as well as a $50-a-day meal allowance. They stroll about Chinatown. Some have taken in museums. They are living in a nice apartment in one of the most spectacular neighborhoods in the country. SJ Mercury 5/4/08

 

Air travel:

 

*American latest to exit Oakland Airport -- In another blow to travelers using Oakland International Airport, American Airlines is discontinuing its service there in four months, the company confirmed Monday. Soaring fuel costs forced the Texas-based airline, the world's largest, to end its three, daily nonstop flights between Dallas and Oakland effective Sept. 3 as a cost-cutting measure. Those seeking to fly American can still do so  out of San Francisco International Airport or San Jose International Airport. SFO has five or six such flights a day, San Jose seven. Oakland had three flights a day. SJ Mercury 5/5/08

 

Tourism:

 

Reno braces for an uncertain summer -- As the season in Reno and Lake Tahoe slowly changes toward summer, it signals the beginning of what traditionally is the most lucrative tourism period for the area. Yet Ellie Oppenheim anticipates a big change in the economic climate, too, which could bring ill winds to the northern Nevada resort industry. The area doesn't strictly rely on visitors from Northern California. A 2007 Convention & Visitors Authority survey shows that Reno-Tahoe's appeal is broadening. More tourists are flying into Reno-Tahoe from Los Angeles and Canada, according to the survey and data from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport.  USA Today 5/6/08

 

For tourism, outback to the future -- The Nevada Passage Adventure Competition is an event aimed at putting some of the state’s remotest landscapes on millions of television screens. The 2008 version of the race, sponsored by the Nevada Commission on Tourism, is a chance to get Nevada on as many as 2 million television screens across the country for about $500,000, much less than it would cost to buy advertising. Las Vegas Review Journal 5/6/08

 

Two cities unite to promote tourism -- ‘Let Yourself Go' was the theme for this year's California Travel and Tourism Commission reception. More than 95 members from the San Francisco Bay Area-based media as well as select out-of-state media attended this exclusive event. Representing the South Santa Clara Valley Tourism Partnership at the media reception were Jane Howard, executive director of the Gilroy Visitors Bureau and Chris Bryant.  Incorporating the tagline "Gateway to the Central Coast" this partnership has been formed to bring additional visitors to south Santa Clara County. Gilroy Dispatch 5/5/08

 

High Speed Rail:

 

Booming elsewhere, high-speed rail sees delays in US – Europe and Asia's impressive advances in train travel -- commercial bullet-trains there routinely hit 200 mph (320 kph) -- have begun to shine a glaring spotlight on the world's wealthiest nation. For decades US passenger trains have played poor cousin to planes and automobiles -- the twin towers of American transport. Most populous state California could soon be taking the first step towards a fully-dedicated high-speed route, planning a system from Sacramento in the north to San Diego in the south via San Francisco and Los Angeles, covering 683 miles (1,100 kilometers). AFP 5/4/08

 

Fiscal Emergency:

 

California may run out of cash by August -- California is facing a cash crisis this summer, putting pressure on elected officials to submit an on-time state budget or risk asking taxpayers to pay a premium on loans. Sacramento Bee 5/6/08

 

Coast Guard:

 

Crews To Assess Effects Of Richmond Chemical Spill -- Cleanup crews arrived Tuesday morning to the scene of a chemical spill in Richmond that leaked an unknown portion of 3,300 gallons of flammable liquid from a container into the San Pablo Bay, according to a U.S. Coast Guard official. The spill was fully contained by booms and absorbent pads but it is not known how much of the chemical seeped into the surrounding marsh and washed into the bay, the Coast Guard reported. CBS5 5/6/08

 

Transportation:

 

*Caltrain to mount cameras on trains -- Caltrain is turning to the latest in video technology — cameras mounted on the front and back of trains — to learn how and why people die on the tracks. Caltrain's board of directors today is expected to ask the state for $500,000 in Homeland Security funds to install the cameras on all 30 trains on the San Francisco-to-Gilroy line. The cameras would record suicides, which represent more than half of the fatalities each year, and other deaths in the same way police cameras record arrests for drunken driving. The 24-hour cameras would have the added benefit of recording the movements of anyone tampering with the trains or tracks. Inside Bay Area 5/4/08

 

Caltrans tries to reduce fatalities -- Catrans’ California Office of Traffic Safety, California Highway Patrol, and California State Association of Counties today announced a bold set of 152 actions designed to reduce serious injuries and fatalities of which 10 percent on California’s roadways by 2010. Actions were created with goals geared toward reducing head-on collisions and run-off-the-road crashes, improving safety at intersections and interchanges, and enhancing safety for pedestrians and bicycles. Bear Valley News 5/2/08

 

Ports:

 

*Port of Oakland completes $3M program replacing old trucks -- The Port of Oakland reached a milestone Wednesday in its efforts to reduce diesel-engine pollution, replacing its 80th older truck with a new model. The $3 million program was designed to remove 1990 and older truck models that provide goods transport in and out of the port area with new trucks that emit far less diesel particulate matter , which contributes to air pollution and greenhouse gases that most scientists blame for global warming. Bizjournals 5/2/08

 

 

 

Agriculture Daily News May 6

Food:

 

Watsonville slaughterhouse inspected -- A state agriculture official Friday inspected a Watsonville slaughterhouse where malnourished and injured livestock were removed earlier this week. However, the plant continued to operate and officials said there is not an imminent food safety concern. The slaughterhouse continued to do business Friday afternoon during the unscheduled state inspection, which lasted less than a half-hour. About 85 apparently healthy animals remained on the property and no additional livestock were removed during the inspection. Monterey Herald 5/3/08

 

Shortage fears fuel rice price hikes -- Skyrocketing prices and media reports of a shortage are driving many immigrants and U.S. Asians, Hispanics, Indians and others to stock up on rice Emphasizing that there is no rice shortage in the United States, economists and commodity traders blame the price hikes confronting U.S. consumers on everything from the weather in producing countries to the increased buying power of countries like China. Inside Bay Area 5/2/08

 

Health:

 

*Plastics set off alarm -- Responding to an unusually large number of consumer product recalls last year - many of them involving lead in everything from toys and candy to clothing and lunch boxes - several Bay Area lawmakers are pushing for better state regulation of chemicals believed to be toxic. One bill, labeled the "Toxin-free Toddlers and Babies Act" by Sen. Carole Migden, D-San Francisco, would ban the chemical bisphenol A from toys and child-care products sold in California, such as baby bottles. SJ Mercury 5/6/08

 

Fat cell count is steady even if you lose weight -- Every year, whether you are fat or thin, whether you lose weight or gain, 10 percent of your fat cells die. And every year, those cells that die are replaced with new fat cells, researchers in Sweden reported Sunday.The result is that the total number of fat cells in the body remains the same, year after year throughout adulthood. Losing or gaining weight affects only the amount of fat stored in the cells, not the number of cells. Obesity investigators say the study raises tantalizing questions. For instance, what determines how many fat cells are in a person's body? SF Chronicle 5/5/08

 

UHW Outlines Solutions to California's Health Crisis -- Caregivers from around California on Monday will host the latest in a series of statewide forums, in which experts in the field will discuss the crisis facing the state's healthcare infrastructure and potential solutions. Fox Business 5/5/08

 

*California Sued Over Health-Care Cuts -- A coalition of California hospitals, doctors, dentists and other health-care providers has sued the state to block a 10% cutback in payments to them for treating the poor who are covered by Medi-Cal, a joint federal and state program. The $1.3 billion in cuts, set to take effect July 1, are included in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed 10% across-the-board reductions in the budget for state services. The governor has said the move is needed to close a fiscal 2009 budget deficit now approaching $20 billion. Wall Street Journal 5/6/08

 

State budget crisis threatens health care -- Recent budget cuts to the state's Medi-Cal program will put patients and California's hospitals at even greater risk. In February of this year, the governor signed into law a 10 percent budget cut to the Medi-Cal program, which serves our state's most vulnerable patients — the uninsured, underinsured, working poor, disabled and seniors. Visalia Times Delta 5/2/08

 

Agriculture:

 

Late cold snap puts a chill on California vineyards -- April was a cruel month for California winemakers, bringing a series of unusually late frosts to vineyards baring the tender, green shoots of spring. The damage still is being assessed -- it could be June before growers know the full extent -- but most expect smaller-than-average harvests this year. The frosts hit all over Northern California, including Mendocino and Lake counties in Northern California as well as the Napa Valley and Sonoma County regions. The cold also was felt in Central Coast vineyards. Business Week 5/6/08

 

Growers' frost fight squeezes water supplies -- The use of water by grape growers for frost protection during this unusually cold spring has taxed North Bay water resources, which are already so low that conservation measures will be needed this summer. Press Democrat 5/3/08

 

California's farm belt plan to cut air pollution criticized -- Environmentalists say a new plan to clean up the soot-laden air in California's farm belt would fail to adequately regulate agricultural sources of pollution. California's farm belt has some of the highest levels of airborne dust, smoke and soot in the country. The district's governing board voted 8-3 in favor of a plan that could keep families from using their fireplaces for up to 35 days each winter and require local employers to make a portion of their workers car pool. Air quality advocates said the plan should have done more to regulate dairies, wineries and diesel pumps on farms, but farmers speaking at the meeting warned that a stricter plan would have risked job losses in the valley. AP 5/2/08

 

*Apple moth quarantine around Sonoma -- A 15-square-mile quarantine was established Monday in Sonoma County in the ever-widening - and increasingly controversial - war against the pest known as the light brown apple moth. The quarantine will subject grape growers, nurseries and other businesses inside the infestation zone to inspections and, if the alien moth is found, an extensive treatment program. A team of scientists from the California Department of Food and Agriculture also announced Monday that sticky traps alone are not an effective way to fight the destructive Australian invader. Instead, they concluded, aerial spraying will have to be used to fight the pest. SF Chronicle 5/6/08

 

Biofuel:

 

US, EU asked to reconsider biofuel goals as food prices rise -- The U.S. and European Union should reconsider a shift to biofuels that has helped increase food prices worldwide by turning agricultural land over to energy crops, American economist Jeffrey Sachs said Monday. Targets to produce more fuels that release less carbon dioxide when burned "do not make sense now in a global food scarcity condition," Sachs, a special adviser to the United Nations, told reporters before he spoke to EU lawmakers at the European Parliament. AP 5/5/08

 

Senators call for EPA to reconsider ethanol output mandate -- Senate Republicans have asked environmental regulators to use their power to halt the country's plans to expand ethanol production amid rising food prices. Twenty-four Republican senators, including presidential candidate Sen. John McCain of Arizona, sent a letter Friday to the Environmental Protection Agency suggesting it waive, or restructure, rules that require a fivefold increase in ethanol production over the next 15 years. SF Chronicle 5/5/08

 

Ethanol defended by President Bush -- President Bush on Friday defended his emphasis on ethanol to help the nation meet its energy needs even though increased production of the corn-based biofuel has been blamed for contributing to sharp increases in food prices. LA Times 5/3/08

 

Nutrition education:

 

New Natomas school roof is green - and growing -- A new school being built in Natomas will have a cover of vegetation across its roof. The H. Allen Hight Learning Center has a "green roof" as one of many construction features designed to save energy when the campus opens in August with 500 students. It's also likely the first local example of a building trend sweeping across rooftops worldwide. Green roofs – roofs covered with soil and plants – have become a favorite feature among environmentally minded builders. They naturally keep buildings cool and absorb rainwater. Sacramento Bee 5/6/08

 

Forests:

 

*Tree study clears the air -- UC Davis researchers say they have confirmed in laboratory experiments that certain trees are highly effective in filtering and dispersing some of the most toxic particles in auto exhaust. The findings suggest health risks in neighborhoods and schools near heavy traffic can be cut significantly by flanking the roadways with tall evergreens. The study found redwood trees to be the most effective of three species tested at removing particle pollutants, followed by the longer-needled deodar cedar and the broad-leaf live oak. Sacramento Bee 5/6/08

 

Farm Bill:

 

*Farm bill upends normal political order -- It is the rarest of moments: President Bush and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are on a collision course over a giant farm bill, but it is Bush who is broadly aligned with liberal Bay Area activists pushing for reform, while the San Francisco Democrat is protecting billions of dollars in subsidies to the richest farmers. A conference committee approved on Thursday most of a nearly $300 billion farm bill. SF Chronicle 5/4/08

 

Fishing:

 

Fishing in waters off West Coast is deadliest -- A new report from the federal government says fishing off the West Coast of the United States has one of the highest human death rates in commercial fishing - even higher than in waters off Alaska. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health released a report late last month detailing the hazards of fishing in the Pacific Ocean off the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington, which had a combined fatality rate more than twice as high as the rate in Alaska as well as the national commercial fishing average rate between 2000 and 2006. SF Chronicle 5/4/08

Transporation Daily News May 2

Infrastructure:

 

*Bridge traffic down, carpools up -- The Bay Area's toll bridge traffic — a key indicator of area commuting patterns — is declining, and this time it's not because of job loss, as it was when the dot-com bubble burst. Transportation officials say they know that because the drop in car crossings is accompanied by an increase in carpool traffic — 5.3 percent on the Bay Bridge over the nine months ending in March — as well as a continuing increase in public transportation ridership. CC Times 5/2/08

 

Gov.'s staff exploring new taxes -- As Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger continues to say publicly that he will hold the line against new taxes, his administration is laying the groundwork for a possible tax increase. Gov.'s staff exploring new taxes -- Administration officials are soliciting advice from business groups and other special interests on how to propose billions of dollars in tax hikes that could help close a budget shortfall the governor now says is as large as $20 billion. LA Times 5/1/08

 

Ports:

 

*Dockers shut West Coast ports in brief protest -- Dockworkers from Long Beach to Seattle defied their employers and an arbitrator's ruling and brought cargo operations to a standstill for eight hours Thursday in protest of the war in Iraq. At least 6,000 workers represented by San Francisco's International Longshore and Warehouse Union did not report for work for the day shift, effectively shutting down 29 West Coast ports. SF Chronicle 5/2/08

 

Air travel:

 

Schwarzenegger's Jet Commute May End as Santa Monica Seeks Ban  -- A federal judge will decide on May 15 whether the governor can land aboard a Gulfstream IV in Santa Monica, a 15-minute drive to his home in Los Angeles' wealthy Brentwood enclave. The governor's brother-in-law, Bobby Shriver, is among the Santa Monica