California matters

Can't get on board with that. It's regressive as hell.

To be fair State regulators say the money would be used to support programs that provide phone service to the poor. although The wireless industry and business groups ... say the proposal is unfair because services like Facebook's Messenger and Apple's iMessage wouldn't be hit with the new fee. is a weighty counterargument.

Also, since Jerry Brown will be leaving office soon after 4 terms I felt like dredging up Jerry Brown’s Tough-Love Miracle: How He Turned Around California. Sure it's now five years old but perhaps a key bit of his legacy. Pity for the twin tunnels and high speed rail though.

Yeah, things like Facebook and Discord etc would be used as substitutes. Way too easy to avoid.

I thought that they were already being taxed?

Since I have to pay extra every time I buy an prepaid card for my cell phone and I don't feel like dealing with the issue of having my texts bounced because I don't have the money to send it.

Would this affect someone outside California texting someone in California?

Per the FCC, the text tax is cancelled for the time being.

10 laws that will come in force next year:

• Senate Bill 1448: Misbehaving physicians who are on probation now need to disclose this.
• Assembly Bill 1793: Marijuana convictions can now be erased.
• Assembly Bill 176: Some State parks can now allow dogs access.
• Senate Bill 946: Restricts municipalities from restricting sidewalk sales.
• Assembly Bill 2103: Extra training requirements for people seeking a concealed carry permit.
• Senate Bill 1343: Expands sexual harassment training obligations.
• Assembly Bill 375: A broad scope consumer privacy law.
• Assembly Bill 1871: Requires that charter schools also offer reduced price meals for children.
• Assembly Bill 216: Vote by mail ballots are now paid for by the state, if my understanding of this item is correct.
• Assembly Bill 2989 (the only bill proposed by a Republican here): Higher speed limits for electric scooters and there is no obligation to wear a helmet anymore.

Doublepost since I can't let this go uncommented:

Gov. Gavin Newsom threatens to cut state funding from cities that don't approve enough housing. Is he taking inspiration from Trump?

Doubt it. For one, Trump took our money because he's lashing out in general over his wall and Newsom in particular over criticizing him.

Newsom's budget plan has a mix of carrots and sticks to get local governments to build new housing. And the article points out that by law they should have been doing that anyway.

For news of the Repubican party's further irrelevance in this state, Reeling California Republicans elevate social conservative.

Is this Shannon Grove the same person who a couple years ago claimed that California had legalized child prostitution, or am I confusing her with another tosser?

Otherwise, At Gov. Newsom’s urging, California will sue Huntington Beach over blocked homebuilding. Apparently laws requiring/easing homebuilding rules do exist but are seldom enforced against non-compliant local government units.

So it seems like Southern California is seeing an unusually cold winter. As well as wet.

Good. We've got a housing crisis going on in California, and those who are blocking development of more affordable housing should be penalized.

I can confirm this. Its been really cold and rainy the past month or so.

Emphasis on "rainy" seeing as Gov. Newsom declares emergency over Northern California flooding.

Aside question, but is there advice out there for European tourists seeking a place to visit in California? My parents were thinking of coming to the US this summer and California is one of the potential places to go to.

California's a big place. Where do you plan to go: Northern, Central, Southern...?

If you're staying in the San Francisco Bay Area, there's lots of options. Especially if you have money to burn.

Edited by M84 on Mar 2nd 2019 at 4:35:53 AM

Probably the Southern part, although I'll admit that the discussion was rather open ended.

In newsy bits, California dam at risk of 'catastrophic failure' in mega-storm, climate scientist says. Now the dam in question (Whittier Narrows Dam) isn't a particularly large structure and the risk has been known for a while, but it has received increased attention recently, presumably owing to the wet winter^note After years of drought, there was a wet winter in 2016/2017, a somewhat drier one in 2017/2018 and another wet one 2018/2019. Also with the "pause in global warming" now over, there is the possibility of a concomitant wet switch as well in SW US climate. and because it sits atop of a large city so the damage potential is immense.

Opponents call it a ‘crime against humanity,’ but vaccine bill moves forward. Seeing as the last attempt at establishing vaccine compliance was subverted by physicians granting questionable exemptions, now there is an attempt to restrict said exemptions, spurred by a large measles outbreak currently underway. Naturally the antivaxxers are out in force.

Abd more on the housing saga, High-profile California housing bill clears hurdle after tense debate over local control. Apparently some coastal and small countries will see watered down rules, while single family zoning would essentially be eliminated statewide (?).

My reaction to the anti-vaxxers protesting this bill:

Edited by M84 on Apr 25th 2019 at 4:52:16 PM

PG&E power lines caused California’s deadliest fire, investigators conclude. This company is going to be in sooo much trouble - didn't they also cause the wine country fires in 2017?

Racist ‘promposal’ shows disconnect between affluent Palos Verdes, the rest of L.A.. Note that despite the title, it's apparently a repeat incident and such incidents like improper uses of the N-word, Nazi imagery, racial slurs and hanging imagery have been a problem in other high schools of wealthy white Southern California. Sems like it's an endemic issue in some parts of the country.

Lot of northern California, parts of southern California (especially in and around Central Valley). Makes me glad I'm in the middle.

You sure that it doesn't happen there as well.

The revenge of the suburbs: Why California’s effort to build more in single-family-home neighborhoods failed AKA why this attemp to solve the housing crisis failed - again. I am incidentally not convinced that tech companies are responsible for it in any way - they don't control zoning policy, local governments do.

Not surprised in the slightest.

NIMBY is endemic in California.

It hasn't been a very popular decision, apparently: California’s Legislature is less popular than Trump with the state’s voters, poll finds and the housing debacle appears to be a principal reason.

Otherwise:

• California inmate linked to 60 killings in over a dozen states, prosecutors say. They better have more evidence than confessions though - serial killers claiming credit for murders they didn't commit isn't uncommom.
• He feared being stung by wasps and accidentally started California’s biggest fire. Apparently that fire started when someone pushed a stake into the ground, forming a spark. Odd fire reason but what made it worse were the (inept) attempts by this someone to put the fire out.