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The Senate voted 27-12 Tuesday afternoon to accept the $145 billion budget, which includes $103 billion in general fund spending, according to David Miller, spokesman for North Coast Sen. Patricia Wiggins.
In a statement after the vote, Wiggins noted that the Senate's version of the budget was very similar to that passed July 20 by the Assembly and to a budget the Senate almost approved three weeks ago. Wiggins said the Senate should have arrived at a final budget “much, much earlier.”
“But I am glad that we are putting this impasse behind us, because it will allow us to resume payments to child care facilities, to nursing homes, to health clinics and other providers who receive reimbursements through Medi-Cal, to those who offer care and services to the developmentally disabled, and to anyone else who has been negatively affected by the delay,” said Wiggins.
This budget fully funds education and law enforcement, allows the state to pay off $2.5 billion of its overall bind debt earlier than scheduled and keeps a record $3.4 billion in reserve – all without raising taxes, Wiggins reported.
“It is my hope that we can move quickly now on other major outstanding issues, especially health care reform, and that we can reach early agreement on the next round of budget talks in 2008,” said Wiggins.
There was one part of the budget package Wiggins didn't agree with, according to her office. Senate Republicans demanded the elimination of an existing requirement that all state-owned buildings be “green,” which Senate Democrats agreed to honor. Wiggins, however, voted against the change.
Assemblywoman Patty Berg's office offered no comment on the budget's passing. However, in July, when the Assembly passed a $103 billion budget version, Berg said it would protect children, the elderly and the poor.
As chair of the Assembly's Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, she worked to add $12 million to the state’s Adult Protective Services program in order to give every county in the state at least one watchdog to protect seniors from elder abuse.
The Assembly budget also preserved the Williamson Act, increased funding for the California Methamphetamine Initiative, prevented a wage freeze for In-Home Supportive Services workers, maintained Rural law enforcement grant program, kept intact the homeless program for mentally ill, fully funded K-12 education and created a $3.4 billion reserve.
However, just how close the two budgets are in their specifics wasn't clear Tuesday evening, although it's reported that they are very similar.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement Tuesday afternoon that lauded the Senate's responsible budget,” which he said protects the state's priorities and keeps its economy strong.
“It was a challenging process but in the end our legislative leaders came together to deliver a spending plan that does not raise taxes, creates the largest reserve in history, and reduces our operating deficit after the spending vetoes that I have promised,” Schwarzenegger said in the statement.
Schwarzenegger said the budget also limits spending growth to less than one percent, pays down $2.5 billion in debt, fully funds education and public safety, and allows the state to move forward with the infrastructure bond measures that voters approved last year.
“We now will move forward together on the issues we've been elected to address such as health care, a comprehensive water plan, and redistricting reform,” Schwarzenegger said.
The budget comes none too soon.
Late last month, State Controller John Chiang reported that the budget impasse forced him to withhold $1.1 billion in state payments to hospitals, nursing homes, child care centers, community colleges and other programs. Chiang estimated at that time that he would not be able to pay another $2.1 billion in state payments in August.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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Det. Mike Curran of the Lake County Sheriff's Office reported on the investigation Tuesday, which resulted in the arrest of Albert Wilbur Charboneau, 63, a former Clearlake resident, on sex registration violations.
Curran also is an agent of the Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement (SAFE) Task Force, a multi-county effort that is focused on reducing the number of sex offenders who fail to comply with legal registration requirements.
SAFE's investigation began July 23 during a south county operation that included the city of Clearlake, Curran reported.
Charboneau, who reportedly worked as a carpenter, was found to have moved several months ago from the address listed on registration documents. Curran then began a search investigation to determine Charboneau's whereabouts.
Curran gathered information that indicated that Charboneau had possibly relocated to an unknown location in Lucerne, according to Curran's report.
During a subsequent interview with Curran, Charboneau took responsibility for his failure to notify law enforcement of his relocation and then to re-register.
"He knows he made a mistake and that there are potential consequences as a result,” Curran said.
Charboneau was arrested and booked into the Hill Road Correctional Facility on Aug. 16 after his arrest on active traffic warrants and alleged sex registrant violations, Curran reported. Charboneau had gone to the Hill Road Correctional Facility to register, knowing that he could be arrested.
Jail records indicate that Charboneau remains in custody with bail set at $38,500.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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HOPLAND – At an event that could only happen in Northern California – but should happen everywhere – farmers, hippies, city dwellers and country folk alike all got their groove on to learn about sustainable ways of living and doing business this past weekend.
The event in question was Hopland's 12th annual SolfFest.
After morning yoga on Sunday, the Alternative Fuels Smackdown took center stage with advocates for ethanol, biodiesel and electric defending and explaining the benefits and differences between these alternative fuels.
After all was said and done – it was declared a tie.
David Blume, author of “Alcohol Can Be A Gas,” engaged the audience many times as he explained how alcohol could be made from almost any crop – including cattails and kelp grown on nets in the ocean – and wouldn’t take away from crops for human or animal consumption.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker, who penned “The Color Purple,” inspired the audience on Sunday, reassuring everyone that we have the faithfulness of sun rising everyday – and that events like SolFest keep people informed and energized.
“The goal of life is not to stuff a trunk full of money,” Walker told the audience, but to be happy whenever we can.
“It is our birthright to be joyful,” Walker told a cheering audience.
Reading from her newest book for children, “Why war is never a good idea,” Walker explained that during this time of war, everyone should have a spiritual practice.
“This is a time that you really have to have a practice,” Walker said. “A practice that can sustain you through this time.”
On a more technological footing, Ernesto Montenero of Sustainable Technologies from Alameda spoke about converting methane gas from manure to usable energy.
According to Montenero, there are 110 methane “digesters” in California that utilize cow manure to produce methane gas which is then used to generate electricity – or is used to fuel cooking stoves on a smaller scale – and the United States Department of Agriculture has applications for 85 more.
But methane digesters, alternative fuels and solar energy are just a few topics that SolFest, which is hosted at the Solar Living Institute in Hopland, just over the hill from us in Lake County, have available every day.
If you didn’t make it to SolFest this year, don’t worry – just stop by the Solar Living Institute and the Real Goods store the next time you’re passing through Hopland. You will probably learn a thing or two which will inspire you.
E-mail Terre Logsdon at
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See the Solar Carousel:
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As Lake County News reported over the weekend, Lakeport Police and the Lake County Sheriff's Office were involved in making the arrests, which took place along Ackley Road in Lakeport.
A report from Lake County Sheriff's Lt. Cecil Brown Monday explained that at 3:41 p.m. Saturday Lake County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a reported fight in front of a residence in Kelseyville. Personnel from the Kelseyville Fire Protection District also responded.
The deputies found several excited people in front of the home, according to Brown, who told the deputies that “Jose” started a fight, and then left in a gray Isuzu utility vehicle. Witnesses told fire department personnel that a woman in the Isuzu had a small handgun concealed in her brazier.
As deputies searched for the Isuzu, Lakeport Police Officer Jason Ferguson located the vehicle on Ackley Road near Lakeport, according to Brown's report.
Lt. Brad Rasmussen of Lakeport Police told Lake County News Monday that Ferguson spotted the vehicle on Highway 29 and followed it to Ackley Road, where he initiated a felony stop and waited for sheriff's deputies.
Brown said Deputy Gavin Wells, Deputy Darren Daskam, Sgt. Jim Beland and Sgt. Brian Martin responded to the Ackley Road location. There they detained Jose Luis Valadez, 29, of Lakeport; Teresa Yepez Garcia, 48, of Lakeport; and another woman and removed them from the vehicle.
A search of the vehicle yielded a .380 caliber handgun, according to Brown's report.
Interviews were conducted at the residence in Kelseyville, at the location of the high-risk stop and at Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Brown reported. Witnesses confirmed that an altercation had occurred at the residence.
However, Brown reported that none of the involved parties wished to cooperate in the prosecution of any other party.
The interviews also revealed that Valadez and Yepez Garcia had both been in possession of the .380 caliber handgun.
Both were arrested for carrying a concealable firearm in a vehicle (12025(a)(1)PC) and carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle (12031(a)(1)PC), and booked into the Lake County Jail.
Since Saturday, Yepez Garcia and Valadez have both posted, in the amount of $20,000 each, and been released from jail, according to jail records.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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UPPER LAKE – Officials still haven't settled on the cause of a fire that broke out near Highways 20 and 29 Saturday morning.
The fire, which was reported at about 10 a.m., was located in farmland in a flat area near the junction of the two highways, according to Battalion Chief Ken Petz of Northshore Fire Protection District's Upper Lake station.
Upper Lake's station sent two attack units and one engine responded from Lakeport, along with responders from the US Forest Services and Cal Fire, said Petz.
Cal Fire Battalion Chief Redhawk Palleson said Cal Fire sent five engines, a helicopter, an air attack, a dozer and two air tankers to the scene, Pallesen said.
Firefighters contained the fire between 1 and 2 p.m., Petz said.
One home was threatened, he said, but firefighters were able to protect it and avert damage.
Petz said there were no injuries.
The fire's cause still has not been determined, said Petz.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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BARTLETT SPRINGS – A collision involving a motorcycle and a pickup truck on the way to Bartlett Springs sent a Clearlake teen to the hospital Sunday night with major injuries.
The California Highway Patrol incident logs reported that the crash occurred six to seven miles up Bartlett Springs Road at 6:20 p.m.
Battalion Chief Ken Petz of Northshore Fire Protection District's Upper Lake station reported Sunday that Northshore firefighters were the first on the scene at the crash.
The CHP logs reported that the motorcyclist was a 15-year-old male from Clearlake.
Petz said the teen suffered a compound fracture and was transported by REACH helicopter to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment.
No information was available on the pickup driver.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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