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May 23, 2012 – Daily Brief

Jeff — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:32:54 +0000

Last night, the City Council on a 5-0 vote called on Congressman Buck McKeon to “seek a legislative solution to the planned 56 million-ton Cemex sand and gravel mine” in Soledad Canyon. McKeon has introduced six bills over the years, but none have passed the House and he has not introduced a bill in the current session. Mr. McKeon was not at the Council meeting last night, but his likely November opponent, Dr. Lee Rogers, was. Also, TBB and Bob Kellar went H.A.M. on Buck. Your really had to see it. SCVNEWS.
I was only able to catch about an hour of the meeting last night, but our own BGH was especially eloquent in her (several) remarks. Petz was slated to speak against Measure “Louis” CK, but when his name was called, he was a a no-show at the podium. I think I heard Ken Pulskamp say something about an H&M coming to Valencia. Is that for real?
In other council news, fees on some districts wet up, others went down. SIGNAL
Also yesterday, an 8.5×11 mailer arrived in SCV mailboxes outlining McKeon’s battle against the Cemex mine so far. In an eight paragraph letter to voters, McKeon says he is dedicated to fighting the mine and takes credit for the fact that the miners have not scooped up gravel yet. I noticed several typographical sins in the flyer, which looks like it was designed before Cemex bought TMC. Jeff over on the Facebook LTE group posts the mailer and quotes McKeon from November saying that the mine is all but inevitable FACEBOOK
Meanwhile, in the Assembly District race, Scott Wilk’s wife posts to Facebook saying that she confirmed with Camrillo-area Assemblyman Jeff Gorrel’s office that the Assemblyman has not endorsed Patricia McKeon for Assembly, contrary to McKeon’s claims that he has. FACEBOOK
The Times has a nice piece on Disney’s Studios at the Ranch project, with our own Jonas Peterson, head of the SCV Economic Development Corporation, saying that the large project enjoys “overwhelming positive support from the community.” The Times says Golden Oak ranch is so versatile a spot for filming that it’s used more than 300 days a year. Walt Disney himself liked it too LA TIMES
In light of SCOPE’s saber rattling on the Disney Ranch project, there are some interesting parallels up in Marin County, where local NIMBYists have rebuffed George Lucas’ plans to expand with Skywalker Ranch studios. Lucas has canceled plans and instead sold to a real estate developer who will build affordable housing. NY TIMES
US Forest Service reviewing one million acres of Southern California wild land to determine whether campsites and non-vehicular off-road activites can be opened up. One spot, the Fish Canyon and Salt Creek near Santa Clarita, is being considered for a new 40,000 acre wilderness area SO CAL PUBLIC RADIO
Two Santa Clarita brothers, graduates of Cal Lu in the 70s, donate $2 million to their alma mater to build a dining hall. WOW
Neat: A Stevenson Ranch elementary school science teacher was one of 50 people invited to watch the first private rocket blast off to the space station yesterday. KHTS
Kim Fahey, whose “Phonehenge” home in Acton was torn down by the county over safety concerns, has been sentenced to probation and community service for a handful of code violations. SIGNAL

Note: today’s brief was brought to you by Jeff and Mike. What may read like third-person references, aren’t. Only Petz can do that.

May 22, 2012 – Daily Brief

Jeff — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:30:28 +0000

The 30 year old woman who was killed in a violent collision with a tree at Lost Canyon and Soledad Canyon road Sunday morning was the mother of an eight year old daughter and six year old son, according to LA WEEKLY. There was also some confusion about whether she was driving alone; a Fire Department medic says he treated a second person at the scene; the Sheriff’s Deputy investigator says that’s wrong. SIGNAL, LA WEEKLY
And the motorcyclist killed last week on Decoro was a military veteran who had served in the US Navy and the Army. Michael De St. Jean’s wife contacted SCVNews and said he was a responsible motorcycle driver who would never drink and drive and was on his way back from a medical physical. Didn’t the news reports last week indicate a truck turned in front of St. Jean? SCVNEWS
The Saugus Union School District is apparently in serious financial trouble after State Supe of education identified it as one of a handful of California districts whose budgets are “qualified.” SUSD’s Superintendent spins, saying the state made its decision off old budgetary data KHTS
Thirty minutes of public comments will be back at the beginning of tonight’s City Council meeting. SIGNAL. Speaking of the meeting, it’s a big one, KHTS has a run down.
Andy Fried of the SAFE group wants residents concerned about CEMEX to show up to tonight’s Council meeting to pressure Buck McKeon once more to support a federal land-swap deal SCVNEWS
Premako goes deep on the EIR for the Disney Studios at the Ranch project. Plambeck ponders a lawsuit. KHTS
Animal control seized a two foot long caiman -an alligator-like reptile- from a home in Saugus following a call from a probation office last week. In other news, Bridgeport found a solution to their coots problem SIGNAL
Meanwhile, in Agua Dulce, the County will hold a public hearing to determine whether Agua Dulceans (Dulcites?) will “be able to own more dogs, place shipping containers on their property, or park semi trucks on their land.” Must resist urge to joke SIGNAL
In SCV, even purse snatchers drive rather than walk: Some ***hole bumped his car into a woman in a parking lot at shopping center on Whites & Soledad and took her purse while driving the car. The woman, a Lancaster resident, is devastated because she lost many personal items in the purse SIGNAL
Lee Rogers campaign builds Facebook timeline of Buck McKeon’s “bad record” going all the way back to 1992. Pretty innovative I have to say FACEBOOK
Scott Wilk and Dante Acosta say vandals are shredding, removing or otherwise defacing their campaign signs in the SFV FACEBOOK
He may not want to get into a debate with Lee Rogers or show up for discussion forums, but Buck McKeon will go and talk to you if you’re a small business owner in Simi Valley VECO STAR
Buck McKeon’s HASC wants to end green initiatives in the military if they happen to cost more than traditional fossil fuels BLOG
Local Republicans duking it out over snail mail now, with the more popular conservatives launching an apparent Official Conservative Voter guide and Team McKeon/Haueter launching an official Republican guide that Joe Messina calls deceitful. RIGHT ON SCV Oddly enough if you visit the official guide on LAGOP.ORG, Patricia McKeon is not listed.
The Scott Wilk path to prosperity: In an example of the race to the bottom I cited in my interview with Wilk two weeks ago (and which he didn’t tackle directly), Think Progress reports that New Mexico rolled out the red carpet for the Avengers movie, giving away some $22 million in tax credits to the film, which has now left the state. Even Republicans in New Mexico think the credits were too much. No matter, I’m sure California will roll out a package that beats New Mexico’s THINK PROGRESS
Great Eclipse 2012 Pictures BIG PICTURE

May 21, 2012 – Daily Brief: Annular Eclipse of SCV’s Heart

Mike — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:58:53 +0000

The Local Group Astronomy Club of Santa Clarita Valley hosted a sizable crowd at Central Park for the viewing of Sunday’s annular eclipse. I took my daughter and it was a great time. Friend of SCVtalk Steve Petzold was very much the life of the party. SIGNAL
A single-vehicle crash on Soledad Canyon Rd. claimed the life of the driver, Amber Popiel, 30 of Canyon Country. SIGNAL
Meanwhile, the victims on Thrusday’s motorcycle crash on Decoro has been identified as 39 year-old Michael De St. Jean of Santa Clarita. SCVNEWS
Unemployment in Santa Clarita falls from 7.3 to 6.8% in April, but I’m just as excited to see the byline for this article, “Josh Premako, SCVNEWS.COM”. Josh was a longtime reporter and editor and The Signal, and a favorite of SCVtalk. It’s great to see Josh reporting in the SCV again. SCVNEWS
The massive drum circle at COC on Friday may have broken the world record. SIGNAL SCVNEWS
A reporter for the VC Star looks at the 25th Congressional race through the eyes of Simi Valley VCSTAR
The 87 year-old woman who had been reported missing has been found and said to be “doing her own thing” SIGNAL
Tim Myers spoke to Kevin Shenkman, the attorney who has been bringing suits under the CA VRA against cities who still have at-large council districts, who hints that Santa Clarita may be in his crosshairs sooner or later. SIGNAL
As second bond agency has lowered the Santa Clarita Community College District’s bond rating from AA+ to AA. Lower state funded and a slumping housing market are to blame, but looking around this morning, it appears that a lot of CC districts in California are below AA (The State California is A-). SIGNAL
In The Signal, Jim Holt profiles each of the 38th AD candidates: Wilk, Headington, McKeon and Strickland
Anthony Ervin, the Hart High graduate who was the first African-American Olympic gold medalist in swimming, and who famously donated that gold medal to tsunami relief, has shocked the swimming world by making the 2012 US Olympic Team after a years-long absence from the sport. SI/AP
Steve Luntetta gets silly about the local GOP fighting, leaves out an important detail or two SIGNAL
Dodgers shut out the world champion Cardinals on SCV Dodger Day KHTS

May 17, 2012 – Daily Brief *

Jeff — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:25:29 +0000

Details of the City’s 2012-2013 budget are out, and Canyon Country is getting some love: “$15 million in improvements to Canyon Country, including more patrol deputies and the widening of two bridges,” according to the Signal. Other highlights: $300k to staff and operate a community center, $60k for Cemex mine advocacy, and finally, I say finally! joining the Golden Valley Parkway bike path to the Valley Center/CVC Bike path. Currently that bike path ends in a patch of dirty; 510 feet later it resumes. SIGNAL
Good news! Deputies are writing 67% fewer cell-phone use tickets in the SCV. Oh wait. The Deputy responsible for writing most of the tickets was “out of the field” until recently. So are SCV drivers using cell phones while driving less, or is there just no Deputy watching out for this? Whatever the case, a Deputy tells SCVNEWS that “for statistical purposes, it looks like the law is working.” SCVNEWS
Really now, what’s it going to take to get the Signal to post a description or photo of the missing Canyon Country woman? 4 days now and they’re rehashing the same information SIGNAL
* CurbedLA commenters not very enthused about Newhall Ranch “megadevelopment” being approved CURBED LA
Strange: Hart District to provide mental health services for students at one of those strip-mall charter schools by outsourcing to Child and Family Center SIGNAL
Local Christian school to graduate its first senior class KHTS
KHTS says you should support Measure CK, Sulphur Springs’ somewhat controversial infrastructure building measure on the June 5 ballot KHTS
Injuries to drivers and passengers in that terrible Sierra Highway collision weren’t as bad as first feared. SIGNAL
Bob Kellar endorses Scott Wilk for Assembly and Dante Acosta for Congress. Oh and the slate of Tea Party types for the local Republican assembly committee FACEBOOK
Lucille’s Smokehouse BBQ opens today at Westfield Valencia Town Center. SCVTalk barbecue critics set to pounce….now! CITY BRIEFS
I love this lede: “The College of the Canyons Foundation’s Library Associates and Friends of the Gardens groups will host a Twilight Garden Party and Progressive Food and Wine Pairing event June 9, designed to showcase the relaxing ambiance of the college’s garden areas.” SCVNEWS
New Roaring 20s drama at CTG later this month KHTS
Greek-themed Senses party on Main street tonight CITY BRIEFS
Joe Messina dishes in a new post at WRB about life in the 38th Republican Central Committee. He describes himself as an insider who also had outsider friends, but to get support for his campaigns for Hart District, he was instructed by people he doesn’t name to vote a certain way on the committee. When the insurgency against the Haueter clan started, Messina says, rather than adapt, Haueter’s posse merely took their ball, went home, and started a new club. Much of this drama we’ve heard before but Messina packages it nicely WRB
Lynne Plambeck with a powerful column today arguing that if you just look at supply and demand, there’s little reason to build Vista Canyon, Newhall Ranch and other developments in the SCV. So what’s going on really? SIGNAL
Wow, this week’s TIME RANGER is not to be missed. It’s new, as far as I can tell, and it’s all about the OG SCVers: the Tataviam, or, as snobbish Chumash from the coast derided them “the Aliklik.” Time Ranger takes us through their history, discusses their origin mythology (much like the Genesis myth, he says, and includes a savior who would some day return to the SCV!), and wonders what it would have been like to have been a Tataviam somewhere in the SCV when Gaspar de Portola crossed over into these parts. TIME RANGER
Did you bike to work today?
May have a Dante Acosta interview posted later today or at the latest tomorrow. Stay tuned!

May 16, 2012 – Daily Brief

Jeff — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:11:25 +0000

Board of Supervisors approves Mission Village, a 4,200 home “phase 2″ development of Newhall Ranch on a 3-1-1 vote with Molina voting no and Yaroslavsky abstaining SCVNEWS, SIGNAL
Nasty head-on collision on Sierra Highway near Eternal Valley sends four people to the hospital, three in critical condition. A Signal commenter witnessed the crash saying someone got impatient with traffic SIGNAL
The elderly woman missing from Canyon Country has gone silent. Her relatives cut off her credit card after seeing that she used it somewhere in Torrance, hoping that the 87 year old woman would phone home, but she hasn’t. SIGNAL
SoCal Gas company says scammers are targeting Southern Californians, claiming that President Obama will pay their gas bill if only they hand out their social security number or credit card WRB
Rattle snake season upon us with several SCVers finding the unwelcome snakes in their backyards, houses, and at shopping areas. One person even got bitten while shopping the garden section at a Wal Mart! SIGNAL
Every time Buck McKeon slams the President for fiscal irresponsibility, remember that the Defense budget his committee offered this week breaks the deal Republicans made with Democrats last year and would actually increase the deficit by $24 billion next year. McKeon’s budget, which will be voted on Friday in the House, is getting a lot of press right now including a veto threat FOX NEWS, LEE ROGERS
Bike to Work day tomorrow. CITY BRIEFS has all the details.

May 15, 2012 – Daily Brief

Jeff — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:03:01 +0000

SCV School Districts, including Hart and even COC, are preparing studies to determine whether they should move away from at-large election systems and implement district-based or “by trustee” elections. The move is in response to changes in the SCV’s demographics and, Gloria Mercado-Fortine admits, lawsuits against agencies with at-large systems that are occurring throughout the state. Palmdale recently was sued over the same matter SIGNAL
Governor Brown release revised budget, finding that the state is in a $16 billion hole. Big cuts are expected to County agencies and especially the court system SIGNAL, LA TIMES
20% of patients who call the County’s 911 system for emergency services don’t actually need to go the ER according to the Times. Even worse, some people abuse the 911 system, calling it to report “babies who wouldn’t stop crying, people who couldn’t sleep and alcoholics who drank too much.” One guy in the story even called 911 to refill a prescription. The result is the same- a fire truck and private ambulance roll to the scene LA TIMES
Local Republican groups organize a round table forum for the GOP candidate for United States Senate, Al Ramirez. KHTS
87 year old Canyon Country woman still missing SCVNEWS
Interesting article on how local realtors have “nightmare” scenarios in which they’re in the middle of closing a deal on a short-sale house, only to have the bank foreclose on the property SIGNAL
What was thought of as a transportation boondoggle that suffered from over-optimistic usage projections and was too expensive? You’re probably thinking California’s High Speed rail project, but you’re wrong. The same criticisms against HSR were leveled against the Golden Gate Bridge in May 1930 SF CHRONICLE
Newhall Library almost completely built out. City Briefs has a new aerial image CITY BRIEFS
Down with Tyranny blogger says libertarians in California’s 25th District are uniting behind Dr. Lee Rogers to defeat Buck McKeon. No evidence offered though. DWT BLOG
I missed Myers’ great breakdown of the City Council election results by precinct. What was surprising? Laurie Ender finished last -even behind Jon Hatami!- in Canyon Country, home to Jakes Way SIGNAL

May 14, 2012 – Daily Brief

Jeff — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:17:57 +0000

The McKeon/West campaign event on Saturday may be among the highlights of the 2012 political season locally, if the amount of press generated by it is any indication. The Signal says at least three dozen Libertarian-esque protesters showed up against “thousands” who came out to see West and McKeon, and they’ve got video of the protesters too. West told the Libertarians they were wrong about the bills he and Buck support, while the organizer of the protest says he played dumb when Buck McKeon introduced himself. Allen West had the mic for about 15 minutes and talked up a broad range of topics, even calling illegal immigrants “barbarians at the gate” (11:30 in the video) and saying that Islamic militants were setting up camps in the USA. As for liberals, the Down with Tyranny blogger showed up and didn’t have nice words for the McKeon/West crowd.
Meanwhile, perhaps the strangest event over the weekend was an interesting story that was posted on, and then removed from, KHTS regarding Buck McKeon and Mammoth Mountain. The story, which now results in a 404 Not Found Error, says that in addition to a fundraising event at the popular ski resort in April, Buck McKeon benefited from another day-long private fundraising event after the main one in which he raised $7,400. The KTHS article says McKeon’s Democratic opponent, Lee Rogers, pushed the story to the radio station, but KHTS reporter Mark Arculeta seems to indicate it checks out, saying the “Day on the Mountain” event cost supporters $5,000 for a “lunch, ski race and dinner.” KHTS finished its now invisible report saying that Buck McKeon is ducking out of a discussion forum on May 16 in the Antelope Valley and recalling for us that McKeon engineered a land swap for Mammoth Mountain interests but refuses to engineer one for CEMEX in Soledad Canyon. PDF OF KHTS REPORT. Down With Tyranny liberal blog has context DWT BLOG
And west of us, our friends in Ventura County did a great job with what is the fourth print-story -and probably the best- about the chaos in the Republican party vis a vis the 38th Assembly District. Everyone gets a few quotes in the VeCo Star story, from Patricia saying she’s “vilified” because she’s the front runner to Paul Strickland enjoying that Simi voters confuse him with Tony Strickland to Wilk saying he wants to be a Republican who says “Yes” instead of no. Must read before June 5 VECO STAR
Tammy Marashlian continues her excellent coverage of how the state’s budget cuts are hitting our local schools. SIGNAL
Violent crime in the SCV has risen 50.7 percent “so far in 2012″ according to SCVNews. Violent crime includes things like homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, all of which (Except homicide) saw double digit increases from April 30, 2011 to April 30, 2012. The folks over at the SCLTE Facebook group debate the causes SCV NEWS, FACEBOOK
1,100 vehicles were screened and two DUI arrests were made during a Friday night DUI checkpoint in Canyon Country SCVNEWS
Elderly woman goes missing in Canyon Country. And she has a car. And it’s the third time this has happened SIGNAL
LA County Public library officials tried but failed to lease a space in the Valencia Marketplace shopping center to establish a library, the Signal reports. But the CCRs were too great a hurdle and the effort to establish a permanent Stevenson Ranch library for County residents is “back at square one” according to Rosalind Wyman SIGNAL
Newhall County Water District finds no traces of perchlorate in wells one year after increasing its inspection routine. SIGNAL
Neat: Beauty is a Bridge exhibit of photographs of local bridges coming to Westfield mall CITY BRIEFS
Bossert decries the infighting in the local GOP, begs for peace at the IHOP Table saying that the GOP has been hijacked by social conservative extremists. He has recommendations for the 38th Central Committee vote, also on June 5 WRB
Give credit where credit is due: The Signal actually endorsed Wilk and Headington in the June 5th primary, casting aside Patricia McKeon. But the SCV’s paper of record is waiting until the fall to endorse Buck McKeon or Lee Rogers (they seem to think Dante Acosta won’t make it to the general) SIGNAL
Lee Rogers chronicles Buck McKeon’s and the GOP’s spending binge in the 2000s, wonders why McKeon got all austere all of the sudden SIGNAL
Scott Wilk interview coming later today. Be sure to check back!

May 10, 2012 – Daily Brief

Jeff — Thu, 10 May 2012 13:22:15 +0000

Toxic fumes may be/may have been “emanating” from a compost fire in Potrero Canyon, the large undeveloped area west of Magic Mountain. KHTSSCVNews says 6 acres burned as of yesterday afternoon. The Signal report says nothing of toxic fumes. KHTSCVNEWS , SIGNAL
On Tuesday, Mission Village, a 4055 home phase of Newhall Ranch, goes before the LACO Board of Supes for final approval. This is one of the larger phases of Newhall Ranch SCVNEWS
Signal wrap of Council Meeting doesn’t add much more than we knew yesterday, though they quote Ferry giving “full credit” to TBB for bringing public comment issue to the table SIGNAL
Councilmembers Weste, McLean visit sanitation board in Whittier to complain that the board doesn’t hold regular meetings in the SCV, 60 miles north. Also, they raised an interesting question about oil use and prices as it relates to sanitation. All this ahead of expected rate increases next year. SIGNAL
Canada Geese and their young are back in Bridgeport, mostly stopping traffic along Newhall Ranch Road but sometimes getting smashed by cars. Instead of hiring an exterminator to kill them, this year Bridgeport homeowners insist that they are used to the annual migration of birds to their watery homes and that the only people running over the cute birds aren’t from Bridgeport SIGNAL
Deputies within the LASD’s elite “Operation Safe Streets” anti-gang unit wear special skull & gun tattoos that they “modify [with smoke] to celebrate involvement in a shooting,” according to the Times. The tattoos are similar to those LAPD Rampart officers wore prior to that group’s scandal. The Times says no officers involved in the OSS unit are suspected of misbehavior, rather it’s an “unsanctioned clique” LA TIMES
Speaking of Deputies, the latest Merrick Bobb police accountability report showed the Santa Clarita station in a pretty average light, neither rising to the top nor falling to the bottom of the measurements (complaints filed & dealt with). In fact we don’t even show up in the 800+ page report except in three graphs where we’re right in the middle of the pack. Mediocrity…the SCV Way! MERRICK BOBB
Six Flags Magic Mountain picked by Theme Park Insider magazine as #1 roller coaster park in the world. SIGNAL How come the Signal hasn’t written about the dirty water the park ejects into the river as LA outlets have?
Buck McKeon keeps his word to increase defense spending after submitting a defense budget $8 billion over what was agreed to by Republicans and Democrats in the Budget Control Act of 2011. Total defense budget under the plan would be $554 billion MARINE TIMES
Barack Obama endorses same sex marriage, saying his position evolved on the issue due to friends and family. Much like my own I suppose. NY TIMES
On this date 40 years ago, LASD Deputies closed their Newhall Substation and moved to the sparkling-new Valencia Civic Center (and now we’re talking about abandoning that). Also read about our famously porous adobe jail houses (one of which is the flower shop by the new library), why LAX might have been built where Granary Square is today, and pay homage to Father Garces, a priest of the Portola expedition, the first European eyes to see these parts. TIME RANGER
San Francisquito Canyon resident and LTE Writer says a bunch of a******** routinely speed up and down San Francisquito Canyon, “flipping us off when we try to slow down enough to go into our driveways.” She writes “I urge anyone who drives this canyon to please respect the speed limit, not cross the double yellow lines and perhaps take a minute to look at the scenery instead of speeding through the canyon and, perhaps, into the local mortuary.” SIGNAL
Dr. Lee Rogers was kind enough to answer a few questions for SCVTalk readers. Look for the full interview to be posted around 10am today. Cheers!

May 9, 2012 – Daily Brief

Jeff — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:30:24 +0000

79 teachers, teacher aides and other employees were officially laid off at an “emotional” Saugus Union School District meeting last night. Not online yet.
Sheriff’s Station defends ineffective DUI checkpoint strategy saying that there are still a lot of drunk drivers on the road and even if few (zero in one recent case) impaired drivers are caught at checkpoints, the public still needs to be educated that drunk driving is bad. That’s right, Captain Paul Becker actually said you and I need to be educated on this. SIGNAL
Council notes: not much reporting on last night’s Council meeting this morning, but from what I can glean, it was quite interesting. The City Council voted to demolish some buildings it owns in Newhall, the Council rejected TBB’s plans to change the Mayor rotation to April (4-1 with TBB dissenting and Ferry denying that an official rotation takes place), and Mayor Ferry’s compromise position on public comments was approved 5-0: 30 minutes of public comments will be at the beginning of the meeting.
Boydston also suggested the City appoint people who are familiar with libraries to the City’s library board and he got in depth on an oil pipeline matter on the agenda. Finally, he called out Buck McKeon for his failure to address CEMEX. Full run-down at KHTS
Council relations: Word from one observer on the second Council meeting with TBB: “TBB came off as a bit whiny and immature. Ferry was doing his best to accommodate him and to show how hard he was trying. Kellar was not impressed with TBB’s act.” Other observations here
126 acre Acton fire results in one home destroyed, traffic, train delays SIGNAL
Book ‘em boys: LASD busts major bicycle theft ring that targeted owners of high end bicycles on Craigslist and Facebook, including some bike owners in Santa Clarita. The three accused men would email their marks, asking questions about their bikes, then show up and burglarize homes. Deputies think they stole hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of bicycles. The major break in the case occurred thanks to an alert SCV Sheriff’s Deputy LA TIMES, SCV NEWS
In February, sales tax revenues were up 6.5% compared to February 2011, but film permits were down. Office vacancies remain high at about 17%, but retail and industrial leases are stronger. Ignore the home price data, we have newer reports than February SIGNAL
Remember when Buck McKeon hinted that he’d rather raise taxes than let the automatic military cuts go through? Apparently he was too far off the reservation and with today’s joint Op/Ed with the famous Paul Ryan, he’s back on record insisting on no new tax increases while also insisting that the automatic cuts to the military will cripple it. REAL CLEAR POLITICS
New Republican Senate candidate from Indiana tells Fox News the morning after his victory that “I have a mindset that says bipartisanship ought to consist of Democrats coming to the Republican point of view.” No give, only take, you see. USA TODAY
Cougar News has a good piece on Delano Howell, the standout Hart High running back who didn’t get drafted by the NFL but worked out a deal to try out for the Bills COUGAR NEWS
Horton column worth a read today SIGNAL
Am I that old? Wolfenstein 3D was released 20 years ago today for DOS. Slay Nazis with me at THE VERGE & ONLINE

May 8, 2012 – Daily Brief

Jeff — Tue, 08 May 2012 13:17:14 +0000

Democracy works: The City Council will discuss changing the way public comments are handled and organized and may change how and when it appoints Mayors at tonight’s City Council meeting. Both “new business” items are a direct result of Councilmember Boydston being elected to the Council. COUNCIL AGENDA
Sick Burns a plenty at Assembly Candidate Forum: Patricia McKeon said Scott Wilk is a “career politician” while Wilk mocked Patricia McKeon’s grocery store “epiphany” about plastic bags at yesterday’s Assembly Candidate forum hosted by the Chamber. Headington and Strickland got their barbs in too, but most reviews say it was a sedate discussion forum SIGNAL, ADAM GREGORY, MINERVA WILLIAMS
More details on the terrible terrible road collisions last weekend KHTS And we’re lucky no one was killed in this Canyon Country collision SIGNAL
The annual layoff ritual at local school districts continues this month with real, final layoffs being given to teachers, teacher aides and others. Newhall School District is laying off 15 temporary teacher and an assistant principle, while Saugus -where parents were really upset about 80 preliminary layoff notices earlier this year- will vote tonight on how many teachers actually get laid off. SIGNAL
And in other school news, two oversight committees find that the Hart District did not misspend money from Measures V and SA SIGNAL
Saugus High senior meets Bill Nye the Science Guy and takes home a 1st place award for a science video he created. Way to go! KHTS
Road work on Lyons avenue between Wiley Canyon Road and I-5 will disrupt traffic in the evening starting next week until June. WRB
A local running shoe store says the City’s new HikeSantaClarita.com website is encouraging people to get out and hike the SCV. The City plans a BikeSantaClarita.com website later this year SIGNAL
KHTS reviews the “sensational nightlife” at the Tilted Kilt. Actually to be clear I’m not sure if it’s a review or ad, but I enjoyed the pictures of the Kilt Girls nonetheless KHTS
The infighting among SCV Republicans ahead of next month’s election that will determine the makeup of the various Republican central committees has reached a new and quite remarkable low. The new TruthLiesDeception.com website has posted emails between various party activists and officials in which Biblical curses and prayers and terms are thrown about as if they were rhetorical combat devices. Someone even gets called a “Brood of Vipers” and the Gospel of Matthew is invoked. Others actually type their prayers out in email form, as if it were a spell to be cast. There’s liberal abuse of bold, italics, and underline and exclamation marks. It’s raw Republican Id on display and it’s truly embarrassing; if you saw some crazy people doing this on the street corner, you’d politely avert your gaze and walk away, not wallow in it like a pig like I just did. I feel like I just watched a marathon session of Jersey Shore. Click through at your own risk and I apologize in advance LINK 1, LINK 2
If you want to cleanse your pallet, head on over to the SCV Conservative Voter Guide (origin unknown, it just showed up in my email box) for the June 5th Primary GUIDE
Besides seeing Boydston elected, one of my favorite things about the 2012 City Council race was how precinct voters turned out in force this year for Boydston and Kellar, proving that precinct voting isn’t entirely pointless in a city in which 3 out of 4 votes are VBM. Myers says it made the difference for Boydston SIGNAL