Transporation Daily News June 4

Water:

 

*California governor declares state in drought -- After two years of below-average rainfall in California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a statewide drought on Wednesday. The proclamation in an executive order allows water officials to more rapidly shift water around California, one of the nation's top farm states that also has wilderness areas prone to wildfires. Reuters 6/4/08

 

*Drunken boating not driver's license offense -- Drunken boating is both dangerous and criminal, but it isn't grounds for losing your license to drive a car.That was the verdict Tuesday from a state appeals court in Los Angeles, which found no legal basis for the Department of Motor Vehicles' practice of suspending the driver's license of anyone convicted of boating under the influence. California law treats drunken boating much the same as drunken driving, apart from the fact that recreational boaters don't need licenses. SF Chronicle 6/4/08

 

Tourism:

 

California Sees No Rush Of Gay-Wedding Bookings -- As California prepares to lift its ban on same-sex marriages, hotel proprietors are wondering where all the matrimony-minded gay couples are. Hotel chains, small inns and wedding venues also report a surprisingly small number of gay-wedding reservations. San Francisco, which many expect to be ground zero for gay marriages, hasn't seen a deluge of hotel or travel bookings, says a spokeswoman for the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau. Wall Street Journal 6/4/08

 

Ports:

 

*Slowing economy forces Oakland port job cuts -- The slumping American economy is forcing the Port of Oakland to cut operating expenses and trim 60 to 70 jobs.Imports are fewer and exports have increased at the West Coast ports as the U.S. dollar has weakened, and the growth in traffic that industry experts uniformly forecast in a healthier economy just a few years ago is not materializing. The Board of Port Commissioners issued a notice Tuesday that there will be layoffs, satisfying a state law for notification in plant closures or other large reductions in force. SF Chronicle 6/4/08

 

Mass Transit:

 

*No more free rides -- 'Spare the Air' program abandoned -- The Bay Area program that offered a free pass to everyone who rode buses, ferries and trains during smoggy summer days has been canceled, the result of dwindling federal funds, its high cost, and record gas prices that are boosting transit ridership anyway. The free rides, which began in 2004, were part of "Spare the Air," a public outreach effort run by two government agencies: the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. CC Times 6/4/08

 

Contest of finesse for cable car bell ringers -- The champion of the world faced all comers at high noon in Union Square, where ringing a bell has nothing to do with yanking on a piece of rope.Yanking on the rope, in fact, is for losers. Amateurs, tourists and Quasimodo yank. In the world of big-time cable car bell ringing, there is no yanking, only flicking. Sometimes there is feathering, wiggling, vibrating and fluttering.. SF Chronicle 6/4/08

 

Drivers are facing difficult decisions -- Kwong is among commuters who find themselves betwixt and between: car drivers by habit, but willing lately to give transit a try if it makes life a little easier. The problem is – with this week's Jekyll and Hyde traffic patterns caused by the closure of a mile-plus of I-5 – it's hard to know which mode is better. Traffic was surprisingly light Monday, and although Tuesday brought more congestion, traffic generally was not worse than heavy commute days. But there have been repeated flare-ups, some of them intense and in unexpected places. Sacramento Bee 6/4/08

 

Running out of gas on purpose -- The Patrol contracts with tow truck drivers to monitor the area’s freeways and help out stranded motorists. If they come across a motorist who’s run out of gas, the tow truck operators give them a free gallon of gas so that they can get to a station to fill up. It’s a sign of the times—and the high price of fuel—that people have started to abuse the program. Tow truck drivers have reported several repeat offenders, and have noted that some of them seem to be factoring the time it takes into their daily commute to work. “We’ve seen guys doing it going to work and coming back from work,” said Bill Luna from Sierra Hart Towing. Automobile Magazine 6/4/08

 

Infrastructure:

 

Prop. 99 wins easily, 98 trounced -- Proposition 98 would have banned governments from taking any private property for redevelopment, and also would have phased out rent control. Proposition 98 was the second attempt in two years to rein in perceived excesses of government use of eminent domain. It would have barred governments from using their power to take property from unwilling sellers to hand over to private developers. Sacramento Bee 6/4/08

 

Governor Schwarzenegger Announces Appointments -- Lucetta Dunn, 55, of Coto de Caza, has been appointed to the California Transportation Commission. Augustin R. Jimenez, 55, of Carmichael, has been appointed deputy secretary and general counsel for the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency.  Imperial Valley News 6/4/08

 

High-speed rail:

 

*Union Pacific Railroad balks at selling land for bullet train -- Possibly complicating efforts to build a high-speed rail system in California, Union Pacific Railroad has told the state's High-Speed Rail Authority it won't sell its rights-of-way for the planned 700-mile bullet train network. aIn a letter dated May 13, an executive for the Omaha-based freight hauler wrote that the company "does not feel it is Union Pacific's best interest to have any proposed alignment located on Union Pacific's rights-of-way."

 

Trouble for high-speed rail in California? -- Union Pacific has told the California High-Speed Rail Authority that it doesn’t want to share its right-of-way with bullet trains. That’s a big problem, as the authority was planning to install tracks adjacent to the U.P. in several locations throughout the state, including parts of So Cal. It’s also a problem for political reasons. In November, voters are being asked by the rail authority to approve nearly $10 billion in bonds to help finance the project. Authority officials say it will cost $40 billion to build the rail line between the Bay Area and Southern California, although project watchdogs have said the true price will be many billions more. LA Times blog 6/4/08

 

 

 

 

 

Agriculture Daily News June 4

Water:

 

*California governor declares state in drought -- After two years of below-average rainfall in California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a statewide drought on Wednesday. The proclamation in an executive order allows water officials to more rapidly shift water around California, one of the nation's top farm states that also has wilderness areas prone to wildfires. Reuters 6/4/08

 

Davis Lake healthy, open for fishing -- More than 1 million Eagle Lake rainbow trout will be stocked this year in an all-out effort by the state Department of Fish and Game to help the impoundment return to prominence. Some of the trout will be lunkers, 3 to 15 pounds. In September 2007, the lake's fishery was completely killed when the state moved to eradicate the predatory, non-native northern pike that had been illegally introduced. Officials treated the Plumas County reservoir and its tributary streams with CFT Legumine - a new liquid form of rotenone - one of the only chemicals licensed to kill fish in California. Stockton Record 6/4/08

 

Central Valley Project lowers water supply allocations -- The driest spring on record in Northern California and the low level of the San Luis Reservoir are prompting cutbacks in promised water deliveries by the federally-controlled Central Valley Project. The Bureau of Reclamation says the water supply for the agricultural water users both north and south of the Delta is being reduced to 40 percent of average. Central Valley Business Times 6/4/08

 

Dry spring raises talk of water restrictions -- The year 2008 will go down as the driest spring on record in San Jose and San Francisco, setting up the possibility that Silicon Valley could see mandatory water restrictions by next year. San Jose's rainfall is now running at 75 percent of normal; San Francisco's is 79 percent of normal. SJ Mercury 6/4/08

 

Health:

 

Dental care for disabled may grow even scarcer -- With cuts to the state's Denti-Cal program scheduled to go into effect in July and another round of cutbacks already on the table, there could soon be even fewer dentists willing to treat disabled patients. Few dental schools teach students how to care for patients with disabilities. Another barrier is the state's low Denti-Cal payments. Disabilities can interfere with finding work and take a toll on family resources, so many people with disabilities depend on this state-federal insurance program for the poor. LA Times 6/4/08

 

Online drug program would target abusers -- By next year, California health workers may be able to check any patient's prescription drug history with the click of a mouse. There has been a four-year effort to create an online databank to crack down on doctor-shopping by narcotics abusers, and today, state Attorney General Jerry Brown is expected to announce his support at a news conference. Although some raise concerns about patient privacy, supporters say they are eager for an online tracking system to give prescribers, pharmacists and some law enforcement instant access to medical records. SJ Mercury 6/4/08

 

Agriculture:

 

*USA Rice to hold farm bill overview meetings -- USA Rice Federation leaders will provide industry members with an overview and explanation of the key provisions of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 at a series of educational meetings to be held in June and July. The meetings will allow rice producers in all of the major rice-growing areas to get answers to questions they have about rice-specific provisions included in the 2008 farm bill passed by Congress last month. Western Farm Press 6/4/08

 

*Big Farms Can Make the Leap to Organic Farming, Study Suggests -- Large fruit and vegetable growers can adopt the methods of small-scale organic farms while maintaining crop yields, keeping pests in check, and improving the health of their soil, researchers report in the July 2008 issue of Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. Melding organic techniques with ideas from big-farm management helped one grower navigate the jump, the new study says. This success could point the way toward cheaper, more widely available organic produce, and away from environmentally damaging fertilizers and pesticides. Mongabay 6/4/08

 

*Organic farmers' harvest subscriptions face increased demand, consumer ambivalence -- In the local farming ranks, there's a great divide. Eco-optimists say that rising gas prices, increased attention to food safety and nutrition, and economic jitters only bolster the cause of organic food. But it's not hard to find weary farmers who insist that anyone who views the current landscape as sunny and hopeful is gazing through green-colored glasses. Robyn Van En, who operated a farm in South Egremont, Mass., is credited with forming this country's first CSA, borrowing from European and Japanese models. San Diego Union Tribune 6/4/08

 

On march to honor farmworker, relatives call for reforms -- Since a four-day pilgrimage protesting the death of a 17-year-old undocumented immigrant began Sunday, Bautista, farmworkers and their advocates have been demanding stricter enforcement of state regulations that require farms and contractors to give workers water and breaks, have shade available and have an emergency plan in place to help those suffering from heat exhaustion. SJ Mercury 6/4/08

 

2008 California prune forecast 120,000 tons -- The 2008 California prune (dried plum) crop is forecast to be 120,000 tons, up 45 percent from the 83,000 tons produced in 2007, according to USDA/NASS' California field office. Total 2008 bearing acreage is estimated at 65,000. The French prune variety accounts for 97 percent of all prune acreage grown in California. The production forecast is based on a survey of prune growers conducted by USDA, NASS from May 9-30, 2008. Western Farm Press 6/4/08

 

Strawberries boost Monterey County agriculture -- Strawberries pushed overall Monterey County crop production to more than $3.8 billion last year, but leaf lettuce is county agriculture's biggest moneymaker. Strawberry values in 2007 rose 38 percent, a $165 million increase.  AP 6/4/08

 

Agriculture still leading the say in San Joaquin County -- Last year, agriculture in San Joaquin County grew by 19 percent over 2006, according to a report given to the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday morning. Scott Hudson, the county's agricultural commissioner, estimated there was $2 billion in agricultural production last year, led by milk — 2007's top-grossing commodity with a value of more than $466 million — and grapes. Inside Bay Area 6/4/08

 

*Prop. 99 wins easily, 98 trounced -- Proposition 98 would have banned governments from taking any private property for redevelopment, and also would have phased out rent control. Proposition 98 was the second attempt in two years to rein in perceived excesses of government use of eminent domain. It would have barred governments from using their power to take property from unwilling sellers to hand over to private developers. Sacramento Bee 6/4/08

 

Eminent domain initiatives at a glance – A breakdown of the recently passed Proposition 99 reveals that under it homes could be seized to protect public health and safety, prevent serious and repeated criminal activity, respond to an emergency or remedy an environmental contamination that poses a threat to public health and safety. SJ Mercury 6/4/08

 

County keeps mosquitoes at bay -- For the past four years the west nile virus, first detected in the state in 2004, has become a fact of life in Nevada. While other Northern Nevada communities wrestle with budget woes and cut backs or delay in mosquito abatement programs, the Central Lyon County Vector Control District began working to minimize mosquito-borne diseases in February. Reno Gazette Journal 6/4/08

 

Immigration:

 

*U.S. to Make Foreign Visitors Register Online -- Residents of 27 friendly nations who can travel to the United States without a visa will be required to register online with the U.S. government at least 72 hours before departure starting in January, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said yesterday.  The Electronic System for Travel Authorization continues a trend after Sept. 11, 2001, of tightened security for residents of countries in the Visa Waiver Program, which includes 22 European nations, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Brunei. Washington Post 6/4/08

 

Food and Wine:

 

Wealthy Nations Criticized Over Food Crisis -- Resolving the global food crisis could cost as much as $30 billion a year, and wealthier nations are doing little to help developing nations, United Nations officials said here Tuesday. Jacques Diouf, director general of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and host of the summit, sharply criticized wealthy nations that he said were cutting spending on agriculture programs for the world's poor while spending billions on carbon markets, subsidies for their own farmers and biofuel production. Another major debate at the conference centered on the role of biofuels in producing food shortages. The U.S. delegation here, headed by Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer, maintains that only 2 to 3 percent of the increases in food prices are attributable to the biofuel boom. But UN officials said the contribution was much higher. Washington Post 6/4/08

 

*County requires calorie counts on some menus -- In a small but symbolic step toward combating obesity, supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to require chain restaurants in unincorporated Santa Clara County to include calorie counts on their menus. The ordinance, which takes effect Sept. 1, covers less than 10 restaurants and won't impact eateries located in San Jose and other cities. But the county joins a growing list of communities nationwide that have passed similar laws, including San Francisco and New York. Palo Alto Daily News 6/4/08

 

Tainted cheese fuels TB rise in California -- A rare form of tuberculosis caused by illegal, unpasteurized dairy products, including the popular queso fresco cheese, is rising among Hispanic immigrants in Southern California and raising fears about a resurgence of a strain all but eradicated in the U.S. MSNBC 6/4/08

 

*More California wineries find buyers far from home -- U.S. wine exports--95 percent of them from California--reached a record-high $951 million in 2007, an 8.6 percent jump from the previous year. Volume shipments last year increased 12 percent to 453 million liters, compared to 2006. "What we're seeing is that our small family farms are increasingly able to make deals and ship California agricultural products throughout the world," said cattle rancher Kenny Watkins. California Farm Bureau Federation 6/4/08

 

Moth spraying:

 

Fremont joins opposition to moth spray plan -- Although state officials have no plans to spray here, Fremont joined more than 20 California cities Tuesday in opposing aerial eradication of the light brown apple moth. Fremont was one of only a few cities that didn't vote to oppose the spraying at an Alameda County mayors conference last month. Newark and Fremont both abstained, while Union City supported spraying, said Harrison, who attended the meeting. Inside Bay Area 6/4/08

 

Sonoma moth fight begins with twist ties -- State agricultural workers will begin placing chemically infused "twist ties" this month around Sonoma Valley homes and other properties near where two light brown apple moths were found earlier this year. The 8-inch-long twist ties, which can disrupt the moth's mating cycle, will be hung in a 200-meter radius from where the two pests were found this winter and spring. Press Democrat 6/4/08

 

Transporation Daily News June 3

Mass transit:

 

*Transit use soars - budget heads the other way -- Ridership on the nation's buses, trains and ferries is on pace to be the highest in 50 years, according to a report released Monday by the American Public Transportation Association. Public transit systems across the Bay Area also are dealing with a surge of new riders. The news comes as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposes taking hundreds of millions of dollars earmarked for BART, Muni, Caltrain and other agencies to help erase a $17.2 billion budget deficit. SF Chronicle 6/3/08

 

Skyrocketing gasoline prices force changes -- A record number of Americans are leaving their car keys at home, the American Public Transportation Assn. said Monday. Mass transit use was up nationally by 3.3% in the first quarter of 2008, building on 2007, when mass transit use nationwide reached a 50-year high, the Washington-based group said. Some experts attributed the increases in California to refinery problems. In addition, the state's refiners are making more diesel and aviation fuel -- reducing gasoline production -- to cash in on those more lucrative products. LA Times 6/3/08

 

Biggest US public transport fuel cell deal agreed in California 3rd June 2008 -- California-based AC Transit has announced that it has agreed to purchase a minimum of eight fuel cell-powered buses and hold the option for an additional 13, in what will be the biggest procurement of such vehicles for public transport ever seen in the United States.
 Under the new deal, UTC Power of Connecticut will supply the company with its 120 kW PureMotion Model 120 fuel cell systems to power its planned fleet of next generation hybrid-electric buses. Platinum Today 6/3/08

 

Emissions:

 

Opinion: CARB diesel emission rule too costly – A new regulation would require that every diesel truck or bus operating in California meet a stringent new emissions standard. Although this regulation is still a work in progress, its impact is clear: In the next five years, every diesel truck and bus operating in California, regardless of the year it was manufactured, will be required to meet the new emission standard. Targeting older diesel vehicles is one thing, but to make a one-size-fits-all rule that even targets trucks less than 5 years old puts a heavy burden on businesses in California. SF Chronicle 6/3/08

 

PG&E pays to offset Democrats' carbon emissions -- California Democrats have recruited Pacific Gas & Electric Co. to offset carbon emissions related to the national party convention this summer. The state's largest utility will buy $8,440 worth of carbon credits that will come from a Northern California redwood forest. California's is the first Democratic delegation to announce such an arrangement as part of a national push by the Democratic Party to reduce or offset carbon output at its convention. SF Chronicle 6/3/08

 

*California Air Resources Board (ARB) Proposes New Air Quality Regulations On Public, Private And Contract Warehouses And Distribution Centers -- The California Air Resources Board (ARB) 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 greenhouse gas emissions. Logistics Online 6/2/08

 

Infrastructure:

Nancy Pelosi Keynote Address at American Public Transportation Association Rail Conference in SF, supports HSR --“In Congress, it is our responsibility to protect the American people, grow our economy and create good paying jobs, strengthen America’s families, and preserve our planet and promote energy independence. All of these can be accomplished through rebuilding our infrastructure. In that regard, this November, voters in California will have a chance to vote to build high-speed rail, and bring to America a system enjoyed around the world. This investment will create good-paying jobs, boost the economy, relieve gridlock and congestion, and offer an environmentally friendly and economically viable transportation alternative.” All American Patriots 6/3/08

 

*Eight Ballot Measures Already Lined up for November California Ballot -- The first seven propositions to qualify for the November ballot were a high-speed rail bond, a measure relating to the treatment of farm animals, a children’s hospital bond, a parental notification for abortion measure, a measure involving the sentencing of nonviolent offenders, a measure regarding increased criminal penalties and public safety funding, and a renewable energy measure. California Progress Report 6/3/08

 

*SAN FRANCISCO'S BUDGET - Transit and street repair -- The mayor wants to spend more money on Muni service and San Francisco's crumbling roads. Fee increases, mostly for a variety of parking violations, would rise to help pay for the Muni improvements. Highlights: -- The Municipal Transportation Agency budget would increase by $97 million to more than $783 million. SF Chronicle 6/3/08

 

Tourism:

 

*California's overseas tourism returns to pre-9/11 levels -- For the first time since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, California attracted more than 5 million overseas travelers, according to a report by the U.S. Office of Travel and Tourism Industries released Tuesday. About 5.2 million overseas travelers visited the state in 2007, a 12.4 percent increase from 4.6 million in 2006. California's market share of the total U.S. overseas travel inched up from 21.3 percent to 21.7 percent. Triangle Business Journal 6/3/08

 

US Office of Travel & Tourism Announced 2007 Visitation Data -- In one of its earliest releases ever, the U.S. Department of Commerce announces the top states, cities, and territories benefiting from overseas travelers to the United States. In 2007, overseas arrivals to the United States posted a 10 percent growth rate. For the sixth straight year New York State was the top destination visited by these overseas travelers.  California held the second position. Focus on Travel 6/2/08

 

Air travel:

 

Economic woes affect Oakland airport -- The sluggish economy is taking its toll on the Oakland airport. It's number two on the list of large U.S. airports with big losses, second only to Honolulu. It's owned and operated by the port of Oakland which says staff cuts are a certainty. ABC 6/2/08

 

Shipping:

 

Fuel cost may hurt farmers markets -- As five area farmers markets open this week, the high cost of fuel has created uncertainty over the price of fresh produce. Ann Louhela, president of the Nevada Certified Farmers Market Association, said the cost of fuel has sparked fears that California growers won't drive hundreds of miles to sell their goods at Northern Nevada markets. Reno Gazette Journal 6/3/08

 

Economic Daily News June 3

 

Economy & Business

 

Voters cranky as economy sours -- As California voters go to the polls today in a low-turnout primary, those who bother to show up aren't likely to be happy. With a teetering economy and an unpopular war, only 17 percent of voters in a new state Field Poll believe the country is headed in the right direction, the most dour view in 16 years. Sacramento Bee 6/3/08

 

*S.F. immune so far from struggling economy -- The housing market is crumbling across the country - but not in San Francisco. Travel and tourism is down in many places but not here, where visitor spending, fueled by foreign tourists, reached an all-time high last year. And despite a huge city deficit, Newsom still managed to sound upbeat Monday when he announced spending increases for the police force and a health care program that covers uninsured residents. SF Chronicle 6/3/08

 

Fed Chairman Bernanke signals more rate cuts unlikely -- Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke signaled today that further interest rate cuts are unlikely because of concerns about inflation. High oil prices are a double-edged sword that can both put a damper on already weak growth and spread inflation, he said. CC Times 6/3/08

 

Energy & Environment

 

Analysts split on chances of $5-a-gallon gas -- Analysts are divided over whether regular gas, which already has passed the $4 a gallon milestone in California, is destined to touch $5 a gallon in the near future. It all depends on whether oil prices continue to inch higher, as they have for the past few years. A prediction last month by a Goldman Sachs analyst that oil may touch $200 a barrel within two years (oil futures closed at $127.76 Monday) raises the possibility of $5-a-gallon gasoline. But Sam Van Vactor, president of Economic Insight, a Portland, Ore., research firm, gave a contrarian opinion in an interview, saying that gas prices have peaked and will soon start declining. SF Chronicle 6/3/08

 

*Skyrocketing gasoline prices force changes -- A record number of Americans are leaving their car keys at home, the American Public Transportation Assn. said Monday. Mass transit use was up nationally by 3.3% in the first quarter of 2008, building on 2007, when mass transit use nationwide reached a 50-year high, the Washington-based group said. Some experts attributed the increases in California to refinery problems. In addition, the state's refiners are making more diesel and aviation fuel -- reducing gasoline production -- to cash in on those more lucrative products. LA Times 6/3/08

 

Daniel Weintraub: Building a better power plant -- with no emissions -- A Rancho Cordova company founded by a group of retired aerospace engineers has just received funding to build a small power plant that won't emit any of the gases that cause smog or are believed to lead to global warming. the idea of using pure oxygen rather than air in the power plant is at the center of the CES project. Air is 80 percent nitrogen. When you combine it with a fuel source during combustion, you get nitrogen oxide, or NOx. That's a primary ingredient in the smog that clouds the sky in every major city. To avoid that outcome, the CES plant chills the air until the oxygen and nitrogen gases become liquids and can be separated before the combustion begins. Sacramento Bee 6/3/08

 

PG&E pays to offset Democrats' carbon emissions -- California Democrats have recruited Pacific Gas & Electric Co. to offset carbon emissions related to the national party convention this summer. The state's largest utility will buy $8,440 worth of carbon credits that will come from a Northern California redwood forest. California's is the first Democratic delegation to announce such an arrangement as part of a national push by the Democratic Party to reduce or offset carbon output at its convention. SF Chronicle 6/3/08

Media & Entertainment

 

Finance, Budget & Tax

 

*Scores of layoffs in $6.5 billion S.F. budget -- Mayor Gavin Newsom unveiled a record $6.5 billion budget Monday that seeks to erase San Francisco's huge budget deficit by laying off scores of city workers, allowing hundreds of prisoners to complete their jail sentences at home and shuttering a homeless drop-in center in the gritty Tenderloin. Newsom's proposed budget eliminates 1,085 positions - including layoffs of about 450 actual workers - and imposes what he called "old-fashioned belt tightening," like cutting employees' cell phone use and restricting travel, in order to dig the city out of a $338 million deficit. SF Gate 6/3/08

 

Schwarzenegger talks budget reform in Oakland – Perhaps the only forward motion to come out of the town-hall-style meeting at Oakland City Hall was the governor's promise, exacted by Mayor Ron Dellums, to extend the deployment of California Highway Patrol officers, which began in August to quell Oakland's street crime. Inside Bay Area 6/3/08

 

Venture Capital, Technology, & Silicon Valley

40GB for $55 per month: Time Warner bandwidth caps arrive -- Time Warner Cable will launch a trial program on Thursday which will impose monthly Internet consumption caps on new subscribers in Beaumont, Texas. Following a two-month grace period, cable users will pay $1 for each additional gigabyte consumed beyond the cap. Ars Technica 6/3/08

 

*Yahoo opposed Google deal before Microsoft bid -- Yahoo Inc executives dismissed a search-advertising deal with Google due to antitrust concerns, one day before Microsoft Corp made its takeover offer earlier this year, according to court documents made public on Monday. Reuters 6/3/08

 

Agriculture Daily News June 3

Agriculture:

 

New alternaria fungicide gets California Section 18 for almonds -- The California Department of Pesticide Regulation has granted Section 18 emergency exemption approval of Inspire fungicide from Syngenta for use on Alternaria in almond orchards. Though new to this market in the United States, difenoconazole has been used extensively for more than two decades in 96 other countries on more than 100 crops. Western Farm Press 6/2/08

 

*Scientists Argue Apple Moth Spray Plan Won't Work – The scientific community is divided over whether the plan to use aerial spraying to control the apple moth population will actually work. A group of prominent University of California Davis scientists have written a letter warning that California's plan to eliminate the bug will not work. "There's some mountains that can't be moved and there's some insects that can't be eradicated and this is simply one of them and so you need a reality check here," said Jim Carey, UC Davis Entomologist. NBC 11 6/2/08

 

*Ag Summary: Corn Planting Delays, Soybean Emergence Gains Momentum -- California rice emergence was well ahead of average at 92 percent complete. Cotton planting is complete in CA. Cattle Networks 6/3/08

 

*Agricultural research and extension symposium set for June 18-19 -- At a symposium June 18-19 in Sacramento, agriculture professionals and policymakers will get a first look at new research that shows the rate of growth of public funding for agricultural research and extension has declined and the rate of growth in agricultural productivity is also slowing. Western Farm Press 6/3/08

 

Little change in vegetable consumption expected in US -- The good news for U.S. vegetable growers is that consumption of their products rose in 2007. The bad news is that, given the current sluggish economy, little change is expected in the domestic use of vegetables and melons during 2008, according to the latest USDA Vegetables and Melons Outlook. California, which accounts for more than half of spring vegetable area, expects to harvest 1 percent fewer acres, with much of the reduction due to tomatoes, head lettuce and carrots. Fresh Plaza 5/29/08

 

New South Korean president under fire over handling of US beef imports -- After weeks of protests, the government announced Tuesday — Lee's 100th day in office — that it was backing away, at least for now, from an agreement to resume imports of U.S. beef. The government, in the words of Agriculture Minister Chung Woon-chun, was acting to "humbly accept the people's will," following large-scale street protests over the weekend. International Herald Tribune 6/3/08

 

Japan Pledges Stockpiled Rice Exports of 300,000 Tons -- Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda pledged to export 300,000 metric tons of stockpiled rice to alleviate a global shortage that drove prices to a record and contributed to deadly food riots around the world. Japan is self-sufficient in the grain and has about 1.2 million tons of imported rice stockpiled. It has already received a request from the Philippines for 200,000 tons and one from Sri Lanka for as much as the same amount. Fukuda, speaking at a World Food Security Conference in Rome today, didn't say where the stockpiled rice would go.  Bloomberg 6/3/08

 

*EcoChef: Bee troubles changing industry -- Roll is among a new breed of beekeepers who are experimenting with radical ideas to confront issues affecting bee populations.  Her hives have no artificial foundation — the stamped honeycomb template beekeepers use to regulate size. Inside Bay Area 6/3/08

 

California lettuce industry notes detection of INSV in Salinas Valley -- The last thing the California lettuce industry needs is another disease, but a new one, impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV), turned up in Salinas Valley fields in 2007. The disease, which makes heads of infected plants unmarketable, has been confirmed on iceberg, romaine, and greenleaf lettuces. It has been found in fields around Castroville, Chualar, Gonzales, Greenfield, Salinas, and Soledad. Western Farm Press 5/29/08

 

Health:

 

California legislators revive plans to expand healthcare insurance -- The California Legislature is moving to curb some of the health insurance industry's most profitable and contested practices as lawmakers resurrect portions of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's unsuccessful proposal to expand medical coverage. More than a dozen health bills are advancing through the Legislature, many over the objection of insurers. The bills would require insurers to spend at least 85% of their earnings on patient care; block insurers from canceling policies of patients who need extensive care; and force them to cover more procedures, such as maternity services. LA Times 6/3/08

 

Labor:

 

Key element in workers' comp limits upheld -- In a ruling that could restrict the benefits available to injured workers in California, a state appeals court on Monday upheld numerical limits on state-funded treatments, a key component of the cost-cutting workers' compensation measures backed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2003-04. SF Chronicle 6/3/08

 

Bio-fuels:

 

Gates set to dump half his stake in Pacific Ethanol -- Bill Gates is on track to dump half his original stake in Sacramento's Pacific Ethanol Inc., reflecting growing investor dismay with the industry. Gates' Cascade Investment LLC, an early major investor in Pacific Ethanol, sold 1 million shares last week at prices ranging from $3.45 to $3.83 a share, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Sacramento Bee 6/3/08

 

Water:

 

*Feds reduce water to Valley farms -- Federal officials told hundreds of farmers in the Westlands Water District on Monday that they will get even less irrigation water -- just days after the district announced a rationing plan. Two members of Congress and district officials urged Gov. Schwarzenegger to declare a state of emergency. Fresno Bee 6/3/08

 

*DWR unveils pumping plant energy efficiency improvements The Department of Water Resources today announced that the first pump refurbishment project at the A.D. Edmonston pumping plant has been completed. This is the first step of a project to refurbish four of the 14 pumping units at the plant to improve State Water Project (SWP) energy efficiency. (05/29/2008)  Press Release...

 

WANING WATER: Tahoe, reservoirs forecast to drop sharply as summer progresses -- A second slow winter in a row could mean water stops spilling over the dam at Lake Tahoe, cutting off flow at the top of the Truckee River. Despite abundant snow early in the winter season, a uncharacteristically dry spring has meant runoff hasn’t kept up with evaporation, dropping Lake Tahoe in months that traditionally refill the lake. Sierra Sun 6/3/08

 

Decision urged on desalination -- With the threat of drought looming, a decision on desalinating bay water and piping it to Marin homes should happen sooner rather than later, and without voter approval. That's the opinion of the Marin County civil grand jury, which has issued a report: "Sustaining Marin's Fragile Water Supply," urging action on the desalination plan. Marin Journal Independent 6/2/08

 

Editorial: Slowly, slowly water legislation advances -- Water is one of those California conundrums in which progress seems tortuous. Unless a deal can be struck that rewards all water interests – farmers, cities, environmentalists, etc. – one or more factions is often able to kill any step forward. Last week, a splintered Assembly approved Assembly Bill 2175, which would require the state to reduce per capita water use in cities and suburbs by 20 percent by 2020. It also calls on agriculture to reduce usage by 500,000 acre-feet – enough water to supply 1 million households a year. Sacramento Bee 6/3/08

 

Food and wine:

 

*South Bay Supes Want Nutrition Info On Menus – A proposal made by Santa Clara Supervisor Liz Kniss would make restaurants print calorie counts on menus and post them up on menu boards on fast food places. The California Restaurant Association is fighting the plan, saying most restaurants have nutritional information available upon request. CBS 5 6/2/08

 

Fast Food Goes Organic -- Co-ops brought organic food to more people. Farmers markets caught on, even blocking traffic on busy streets in big cities like New York and Washington. Whole Foods transplanted the idea into corporate America, helping the growth of vast fields of organic produce throughout California. Now there is organic fast food. Washington Post 6/3/08

 

*Average Shoppers Are Willing To Pay A Premium For Locally Produced Food – A study also showed that shoppers at farm markets are willing to pay almost twice as much extra as retail grocery shoppers for the same locally produced foods. Both kinds of shoppers also will pay more for guaranteed fresh produce and tend to favor buying food produced by small farms over what they perceive as corporate operations, according to the study. Science Daily 6/3/08

 

US: California winemakers lose access to Illinois -- An anti-shipping law to be implemented in Illinois this week will result in hundreds of California winemakers losing their right to ship wine into the state's wine markets. The law, which has taken immediate effect, is a result of many California winemakers not technically being licensed as "wine producers", but as retailers and distributors, it was warned today (2 June). Just Drinks 6/2/08

 

Wine bill makes way through Assembly -- The State Assembly passed a bill by Assemblymember Noreen Evans aimed at helping California's wine industry compete in an increasingly competitive environment, according to a statement from Evans' office. AB 2090 creates a new special temporary wine license enabling regional wine grape grower associations and professional wine making organizations to conduct up to six wine tasting events annually to promote a particular agricultural region or as part of an educational event. Times Herald 5/30/08

 

*Legislation introduced to modernize America’s food safety network -- California U.S. Rep. Jim Costa (D-Fresno) and Adam Putnam, a Republican colleague representing a rural Florida district, recently introduced legislation to modernize America’s food safety network. The Safe Food Enforcement, Assessment, Standards and Targeting Act, “Safe FEAST Act,” would establish new food safety requirements for domestically produced and imported food to identify and prevent potential sources of food-borne illness. For the first time, the measure grants the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) statutory power to recall contaminated food in the case of adulteration. Western Farm Press 5/30/08

 

Forests:

 

PG&E pays to offset Democrats' carbon emissions -- California Democrats have recruited Pacific Gas & Electric Co. to offset carbon emissions related to the national party convention this summer. The state's largest utility will buy $8,440 worth of carbon credits that will come from a Northern California redwood forest. California's is the first Democratic delegation to announce such an arrangement as part of a national push by the Democratic Party to reduce or offset carbon output at its convention. SF Chronicle 6/3/08

 

 

 

 

 

Transporation Daily News June 2

Water, Oil spill:

 

*Lawmakers advance oil spill legislation -- The Assembly approved a wide-ranging bill addressing oil spill response, AB2547, by Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, sending it to the Senate for consideration. The bill, co-authored by most of the Bay Area's Assembly delegation, is aimed at improving response and cleanup through investments in better technology, mutual aid agreements between responding organizations, tighter standards for response personnel and mandatory containment response for accidents in foggy conditions.  SJ Mercury 5/30/08

 

Quest to fight mussels leaves some boats landlocked -- By 2 p.m. Saturday, inspectors at Anderson Lake had climbed into and crawled under about 56 boats. They sent about 13 away after finding water in the hull or the motor. The inspections started May 23, when county officials initiated the special searches to keep the invasive mussels out of county waters. Boats like the one owned by Mason and Shaffer will be in quarantine for five days. The couple can bring it back to county waters after it dries out. SJ Mercury 6/1/08

 

Emissions:

 

Los Angeles' carbon footprint is a light one -- sort of -- In a report to be released today on energy use in residential buildings and highway transportation, Brookings ranks Los Angeles as greener than New York, with its network of subways; more virtuous than Portland, Ore., with its smartgrowth greenbelt, and, yes, even better than San Francisco, its eco-vain rival. LA Times 5/29/08

 

State must lead the way, once again, on car emissions -- There are two things Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger should do to make sure California continues its rich tradition of being a global leader.  First, the governor should call on the members of the air board to reinstate the requirement that auto manufactures market 25,000 zero emission vehicles by 2014. Second, he should support legislation that would provide incentives for any individual who buys a fuel-efficient vehicle. SJ Mercury 6/1/08

 

Mass transit:

 

*'Large shifts in behavior' during commutes create new problems -- As gas prices climb menacingly toward $5 a gallon, Silicon Valley residents are changing the ways they commute - but some of the new solutions are creating problems of their own. Transit ridership is up across the Bay Area, but riders say parking at Caltrain and BART lots is so jammed that you have to arrive before 6:30 a.m. to find a free spot. The problem is more acute on Caltrain, where one in 15 riders wants to bring a bike on board, according to a Caltrain survey. SJ Mercury 6/2/08

 

Trains gaining as sensible alternative to cars -- Ridership is booming on three intrastate Amtrak lines that are primarily managed and paid for by the state: the Capitol Corridor from the Bay Area to Sacramento and Auburn, the San Joaquin from Oakland to Bakersfield, and the Pacific Surfliner from San Diego to San Luis Obispo. In the past nine years, the Capitol Corridor has increased the number of trains running in each direction on weekdays from six to 16, with four additional trains each way in the past four years. SF Chronicle 6/1/08

 

*S.F. Muni panel agrees system needs more money -- One year ago, Mayor Gavin Newsom convened a panel of transportation and financial experts to hammer out a plan to find more money for the city's struggling Municipal Railway transit system. Today, with the group's work nearly complete, the most politically plausible recommendations that emerged fall short of what's needed to make significant service improvements anytime soon. The agency still needs an additional $60 million to $70 million a year to close a structural deficit that officials say has hampered their ability to satisfy the public's desire for a more dependable transit system, officials say. SF Chronicle 6/2/08

 

Agriculture Daily News June 2

Water:

 

*Ammonia from Sacramento waste could hurt Delta ecosystem -- The likely fish killer is ammonia, a common byproduct of human urine and feces. Sacramento's regional sewage treatment plant is the largest single source of ammonia in the Delta, discharging treated wastewater from nearly 1.4 million people into the Sacramento River near Freeport -- without removing ammonia. Two recent studies by Richard Dugdale, an oceanographer at San Francisco State University, show that ammonia disrupts the food chain in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Sacramento Bee 6/1/08

 

*Lawmakers advance oil spill legislation -- The Assembly approved a wide-ranging bill addressing oil spill response, AB2547, by Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, sending it to the Senate for consideration. The bill, co-authored by most of the Bay Area's Assembly delegation, is aimed at improving response and cleanup through investments in better technology, mutual aid agreements between responding organizations, tighter standards for response personnel and mandatory containment response for accidents in foggy conditions.  SJ Mercury 5/30/08

 

‘SalmonAid' promotes rescue of fishery -- Hundreds of people converged on Jack London Square on Saturday to hear live rock bands and rally for a good cause — saving California's dwindling wild salmon population. The free SalmonAid festival, which will continue today, was organized to raise awareness about the fish's upstream battle against climate change, dams and damaged river habitats. Organizers say the problem is not overfishing. Water is increasingly being pumped from Northern California's Klamath and Sacramento rivers to irrigate farms, draining them of the clean, cool flowing water the fish need to spawn. CC Times 6/1/08

 

Fishers struggle with salmon shutdown -- Already, some coastal retailers are shifting to tourism, trading rods and reels for T-shirts and floppy hats amid the first yearlong closure of commercial and recreational salmon fishing off California and Oregon. The number of commercial salmon fishing permits statewide has dropped in 30 years from several thousand to 1,400, of which fishers said only about 500 are active. Their numbers will likely slide further with the bleak picture, fishers said. SJ Mercury 6/1/08

 

Wells running dry in Visalia -- A combination of mediocre rainfall and high demand are causing wells to dry up throughout the Central Valley. Ever-expanding housing developments, farm irrigation and the construction of major retail outlets in the Packwood Creek area have created a "perfect storm" of water demand in south Visalia, officials say. Visalia Times Delta 6/1/08

 

Agriculture:

 

Stung by losses, nation’s beekeepers try to rebuild -- If colony collapse disorder continues, beekeepers may not be able to meet demand. That’s why some breeders have switched their emphasis to breeding queen bees. Beekeepers surveyed by the USDA Agricultural Research Service last winter reported a total loss of about 36.1 percent of their bee colonies, a jump of 13.5 percent from a year ago. Boston Herald 5/30/08

 

Proposed legislation would overturn state's new raw milk regulations -- The battle over raw milk will move from the courtroom back to the Legislature this week. A Central Valley lawmaker plans to introduce a bill that would overturn new state health regulations that a Kerman dairy has been fighting for months. The proposal by state Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, comes just a week after a Superior Court judge upheld the new standard, designed to promote cleanliness at the state's two raw milk dairies. Sacramento Bee 6/2/08

 

Food:

 

Safeway promotes healthy living to reduce costs -- What might be a little different at the Pleasanton headquarters of Safeway are the fliers advertising nutrition and exercise speakers presenting lectures in the company's auditorium that week. Like most companies in America, Safeway has watched health care costs soar unpredictably in the last decade, but took significant steps three years ago to reduce costs by changing its employee insurance plans and promoting health and wellness. Safeway reduced its health care costs from 2005 to 2006 by about 13 percent and kept them flat the following two years. Inside Bay Area 5/30/08

 

With souring economy, food bank, churches see increase in food requests -- By mixing a lot of ingredients, the Food Bank of Contra Costa-Solano expects to keep its cupboards full at a time of rising food costs and increased demand for services. Some Vallejo churches — often on the front lines of helping those in need — say they have seen a spike in requests for food since gas prices jumped a few months ago. CC Times 6/1/08

 

*A farmers market that fits in -- East Palo Alto is getting its first certified farmers market. Unlike typical markets, some of the food will be grown by residents themselves. The farmers market is just one way the organizers hope to change diets and health in East Palo Alto, where 28 percent of school children are overweight. SJ Mercury 6/1/08