jerry brown

Oil fracking needs state’s oversight

By: SF Examiner Editorial 09/11/12 6:36 PM

Tens of thousands of acres of federal land in California could soon be opened to companies that will use hydraulic fracturing — commonly referred to as fracking — to extract oil and natural gas. But the sale of the mineral rights to the land, and the process of fracking itself, should be halted throughout California until safeguards are put into place to put checks on a system that is currently nearly free of governmental oversight. Read More

Pension measure is small step, but a good beginning

By: SF Examiner Editorial 09/04/12 10:47 PM

The first step to recovery is often admitting that you have a problem. Lawmakers in California did just that last week when they approved a pension-reform measure. Pension payments and retiree health benefits are weighing down state and municipal budgets across California and have been a factor in several city bankruptcies this year. Yet despite the fact that many people have been sounding this alarm for years, lawmakers in Sacramento have not acted on the issue until now. Read More

Ammiano’s bill is wrong approach to immigration

By: SF Examiner Editorial 08/30/12 6:33 PM

It’s never easy to make the case for cracking down on illegal immigration. The subject is too fraught with nativist, racist hatred. Too many Americans display naked hostility toward immigrants, who mostly hail from Asia or Latin America but could have been their European great-grandparents coming here to build a new life. When passions run this high, an argument from the middle of the road usually leaves you run over. So a few caveats are in order. Read More

Sacramento's double standard about pension reform

By: Melissa Griffin 08/26/12 4:00 AM

The Friday deadline for the state Legislature to pass a pension-reform measure is fast approaching, and the aptly named “special” committee on public pensions has allotted a whole two hearings on the matter next week. Read More

Let Ross Mirkarimi fulfill jail system vision

By: Examiner readers 08/20/12 4:00 AM

Justice was a lost concept in the Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi case (“Mirkarimi deserves another chance,” Wednesday). Read More

Death penalty measure on state ballot a tight fight

By: Melissa Griffin 08/19/12 4:00 AM

Proposition 34 on November’s ballot would end the use of the death penalty in California and convert the sentences for all 725 people on death row to life imprisonment without parole. In a well-intentioned bit of bribery to prevent public safety groups (read: unions) from opposing the proposition, it creates a $100 million fund from which law enforcement agencies can get grants to investigate homicide and rape. Read More

Cellphone-service shutdown bill clears legislators, heads to Brown

By: Andrea Koskey 08/14/12 8:49 PM

State legislators backed a bill this week that would require government agencies to obtain a court order before shutting down cellphone service. Read More

Bad plays dragging down Santa Clara County

By: Melissa Griffin 08/05/12 4:00 AM

Santa Clara County is in financial trouble. Read More

Soup ban about overfishing, not culture attack

By: SF Examiner Editorial 07/24/12 6:35 PM

Shark fin soup is an almost-tasteless delicacy that is more notable for its texture. But all across Asia and the Pacific Rim, Chinese consumers have historically viewed it as a mark of success and wealth. Read More

High-speed rail is the right plan at the right time

By: Steve Falk 07/18/12 9:32 PM

Earlier this month, the state Legislature passed Senate Bill 1029, authorizing the issuance of $2.7 billion in state bonds to begin construction of the nation’s largest transportation project — California high-speed rail — as well as authorizing an additional $2 billion in bonds to match local and federal funds for related projects. Read More